Serpent Sword

Welcome once again to the world of Battle for the Wastelands in the newest installment of Matthew Quinn's epic steampunk fantasy Serpent Sword! Picking up shortly where the first installment left off, the Merrills are fighting hard to drive as fast as they can to the old capital Jacinto so they can stop the rush of Grendel's numerically superior armies and maybe, just maybe, carve out a land where they can be free. Will our heroes manage to keep Grendel on his heels, or will his forces end up grinding the Merrills into the dust?

As a disclaimer, I was given an advance copy for review purposes.

The sequel is undoubtedly more action packed than the initial installment, with a long series of short, sharp, vicious fights that never let me tear my eyes away from the page for too long. It's a huge rollercoaster from start to finish. The action is up front, up close and personal, and more in line with what we'd semi-recognize in the modern world as the two sides, the Merrills now better equipped with Old World weaponry, and the forces of Grendel now better armed with the might of the Northlands behind them, get to grips with one another. In a nice touch, we often see the Merrills trying to conserve all that Old World weaponry, while Grendel can use it with (relative) impunity.

Andrew Sutter is in the thick of the fray this time as some of the hard riding and hard fighting cavalry at the tip of the spear of the rebel advance. He gets some wonderful character building in a few scenes (and some fun with his new squeeze, Alyssa) which helps ground him and the whole rebel struggle. We, mostly, see the action of the war through his eyes as Alonzo Merrill is either politicking, directing strategy, and the big bad Grendel is doing the same.

Speaking of everyone's favorite warlord, Grendel is once again in action. This time he's first picking up the pieces of the now unlamented dead Jasper Clark, formerly of the Flesh Eating Legion. Rebellious generals, unreliable vassals, and tantalizing hints of what lies across the desert are all at the heart of his worries in this volume. Once again I loved reading the villain perspective. His concern for whether his empire will survive, and how it will survive is at the forefront of his musings. He is seriously concerned about how to keep one (or more) of his unruly vassals from turning on him if his military situation goes south. Indeed, he sees the rebellion as more of a distraction than anything else.

That said, he's just as concerned about his impulsive son Falki. With Falki in the fight he still has a stable of concubines and heirs back home, but they're engaged in harem politics of their own. This is another potential headache as the chaos of war may prompt some unwise decisions by them. One in particular, the imprisoned Catalina Merrill, is still scheming and trying to remind her son of his true heritage. 

Catalina is a much more active character in this book. Though she is still imprisoned, she acts out in small ways to try and influence Grendel, whether appealing to his political nature, or by establishing covert links with the resistance in her homeland. Her plot was quite thrilling to read here as it has all the hallmarks of a spy thriller, but also shows just how villainous Grendel can be. In one memorable scene he calmly talks about destroying the remnants of her family and subjecting her people to a cruel rule, only to ride in as a savior on a white horse and free them from the very oppression he forced on them. It was a very cold and calculating plan, and Grendel's villainous impulses are so well written by Quinn that I loved any scene Grendel was in because of it.

The action too, of course, cannot be faulted. From fighting armored trains, battles with mutants, and the delightful use of language to establish the setting, we have some unique scenes. For me, the most visceral came when the Blood Alchemy Host, one of Grendel's more disturbing band of allies and literal monsters, got involved. It raised the stakes considerably, and had some grim and gruesome connotations. Let's just say, weasels are not fun when they grow past a certain size!

With the Merrills outnumbered and outgunned though, they must resort to desperate measures to try and win a peace on their terms. Hence the name of the book itself. I won't give away any spoilers, but for fans of The Romanov Rescue by Tom Kratman, you'll definitely see something you like in this book! From start to finish Quinn is clever in his use of the technology in his world, and all the ways it can be exploited against the enemy!

Definitely worth checking out, and please go out and support Matthew Quinn with this excellent new steampunk series!

The Atlanta Incursion

Once again I'm coming back to the works of Matthew Quinn. He's got a new book for us, the second book in his The Long War series (as it is now titled) and a direct sequel to his first full length novel The Thing in the Woods which I reviewed back in 2017. Here now though, we are given the events of The Atlanta Incursion!

As a warning, some minor spoilers will follow from the events of Thing, but nothing that will spoil the whole plot!

From goodreads.com

The story picks up roughly a year after the events of Thing and takes place in the Atlanta metro area in the aftermath of the Great Recession. There's plenty of abandoned areas, decrepid buildings, and gang activity to keep prying eyes away from things you'd rather not see. Unfortunately, that doesn't work out for young Javion, a member of the the Edgewood Jack Boys who, while out on a mission to bruise up a rival gang, finds that his simple turf war has suddenly taken on implications of an interstellar nature.

Meanwhile, young James Daly is doing what most kids his age are doing; managing his school life, studying for tests and attending classes, keeping his long distance relationship going and also staving off nightmares about confronting an eldritch horror in the woods last summer. Just simple freshman school worries. All through this he's trying to manage his friendship with his roomate Eli, and then with his girlfriend Amber, another survivor of those terrible events last May.

There's something strange going on in Atlanta though. Bizarre sightings, drones flying around, and perhaps Extra Terrestrials roaming the streets at night. James himself begins to see this, confused and worried, he thinks maybe he needs more sleep. However, it turns out that the events from last summer might not be as complete as he would like.

James was much how I remember him from the last book, but has had some definite character growth. Quinn also goes to show that he isn't unscathed from the horrible events he witnessed before, with nightmares, and some survivors guilt. I can say he captures this quite well from a narrative standpoint, and uses those feelings in both James and Amber to display character growth, vulnerability, and even some access to their inner badass when the time calls for it. 

Amber is also well handled. I did criticize the last book for this character failing the Bechdel test, and her treatment has improved. She's far more her own person, not only thinking about her attraction to James and has her own inner demons which haunt her in the story. I do think there was better opportunity for her to have another female character to play off on, instead of just one conversation with her roomate. Overall though, her arc and agency in this story is well handled and I applaud Quinn for upping his game with her and her actions in the story. Near the end she does get a pretty amazing scene which alludes to her rural heritage and something about it is just oh so right!

Our two new characters, Javion and Eli, were much more enigmatic. Javion comes across as one hell of a hardass who progressively survives more and more punishment, becoming something of a badass. He was already someone who grew up tough on the streets of impoverished Atlanta, so his growth is handled nicely and does go some way to explaining his resiliency. I think he was deftly handled for a character who could have ended up as something of a stereotype, and in light of events going on which took place just before this story came out, his life experiences (and distrust of Atlanta PD) were both timeless and timely if that makes sense. I am looking forward to seeing more of him in the future. I will admit though that his third act was less impressive than I had hoped for.

The final new character, Eli, was a bit of a mystery to me. It's true he's not entirely new (I made sure of that) but he's name dropped only a few times in Thing so he felt new at least. He's James's roomate, has some trouble accepting the alienation James is experiencing as James (for obvious reasons) can't really talk it out with him. His Jewish background and life is fairly well explored, and his friendship with James is fleshed out more, but beyond that, I didn't really know what to make of him and his character, unlike the first three, feels almost incidental to the story rather than an integral piece of it.

That being said, there were many fun moments in this book. The shoutouts to popular culture, especially from the 80s, 90s and 2000s was fun for someone like me who grew up immersed in a similar nerdy culture. The many references to the X-Files or Men In Black made me grin. That those were something of a running monologue in Javion's head endeared him to me. The sort of low key cultural jabs at city living Eli and the rural Amber were a fun contrast between rural and urban culture (especially one reference to James 'going native' which also cracked me up) and having transitioned from a rural to urban lifestyle myself it was quite relevant. 

I also enjoyed the 'secret war' aspect of the series. It makes sense for an X-Com style organization to be fighting aliens that aren't landing in big motherships. Though a lack of understanding of the alien goals, more speculation about why they did what they did, and a little bit of frustration with a paucity of prisoners did leave me in the dark to what precisely was going on. A small frustration was a moment where an alien speaks stunted English and then later we're informed the aliens never communicate back which felt...odd? I think I might have understood more if we'd seen or heard about the aliens taking other prisoners because it renders Javion's plot more sensible. That aside, it worked nicely for upping the stakes for the next installment, which I always appreciate.

The third act was quite well done, with very competent and exciting action scenes put forward, as I've come to expect from Mr. Quinn, and it had me on the edge of my seat for a bit (I finished the final third of the book in one sitting). I will admit that one aspect of the final fight made me skeptical, without spoilers, I didn't quite see the reason James got pulled into the fight in the way he did. It performed well and James still came off as a greenhorn, but the set up could have used a bit of tweaking in my opinion.

Overall, this book is great in that it manages the transition quite well in an Alien kind of way. By that I mean that where The Thing in the Woods was akin to the film Alien, what we see in The Atlanta Incursion is definitely a sequel in the Aliens vein of story telling. Fun and filled with equal parts dread and action.

A great read, I recommend it!

Son of Grendel

Just last summer I had the delight to pick up Matthew Quinn's full length novel, Battle for the Wastelands, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here now we're getting another little look into the world of Battle before the next book. Here comes the short story Son of Grendel!

From amazon.com

This story is definitely a villain story, and very strong for that fact I think. It follows both a resistance fighter, Robert Dalton and Falki Grendelsson, son of the Lord of the Northlands, Grendel and a member of the Obsidian Guard. 

We begin seeing the death of a favorite of Grendel's, and so he has to respond by sending his son as a sign of the seriousness of the matter. Falki goes with his own company of Obsidian Guard to reinforce those already present. There they must bring the rebels to heel.

From here we get a good look at little skirmishes which tend to make up insurgencies like this, another look at the brutality it requires to make an empire, and the very crude yet effective use of both carrot and stick. In one case Falki helps feed a community, and in another he hangs those who would help the insurgents.

This story never shies away from the fact it is a villain story, and Falki, while not seeing himself as a villain, manages to have some depth for a character who is, well, pretty clearly the bad guy. I do sympathize with him and his past (if not his actions) and I found him to be a very interesting viewpoint for this story. It's a well done villain, but not one we might see on a redemption arc.

Robert Dalton bears the unfortunate mantle of being one of the men who got this whole mess started. He was a freeholder who was, with others, forced from his home to make way for Grendel's veterans, and he wants revenge. Having once lived in the Camrose Confederation, he found his home absorbed into this new empire. Mistreated and marginalized, he fought back. It's a tale as old as civilization, and it resonated with me. 

With tyrant lizards, gunfights and villains galore, this is a fun short story which I recommend checking out!

Battle for the Wastelands

Recently I got to read a book I have wanted to read for a long time. Fellow blogger and writer Matthew Quinn had talked about his full length novel Battle for the Wastelands for many years. After a long process of submissions, Mr. Quinn finally went the self publishing route and made his novel available to the public! Here's my full review of Battle.

From amazon.ca

Set in an indeterminate period after a post apocalyptic event, we find our protagonist Andrew Sutter, traversing the wastes along the Iron Desert within the fertile Basin. His home. Carroll Town, is ruled over by the despotic and terrifying Flesh Eating Legion under the command of rebel turned warlord Jasper Clark. With a terrible drought afflicting them, a heavy tribute is demanded, sparking a minor rebellion and when Andrew takes up arms, he finds he might not know what true battle holds.

Meanwhile, the ruthless warlord Grendel, first lord of the Northlands, is struggling to hold his fledgling empire together. Though he has largely crushed all his foes, his underlings are now clashing with one another. It threatens to split his tenuous hold on the Basin lands into splinters and destroy everything he has built. Within his new realm he has friends and enemies. One being his concubine and former woman of the ruling Merrill family, Catalina, who seeks a way to plot against him. The other is Alonzo Merrill, leader of a ragtag rebel army opposing Grendel and his cronies, but fighting a losing war along the Southern Wall, a series of fortifications designed to drive the remainder into the desert.

Can the rebels manage to beat the first lord of the Northlands? Or will they be swallowed up by the progress of empire?

I definitely found that the novel was fast paced, which was good for the amount of information you receive when reading it. It starts off with a brief introduction into the Iron Desert and Caroll Town, but then its hard fighting and lots of dying!

Andrew is, without a doubt, our main viewpoint character. He is the audience surrogate seeing the issues of the world at large. Young, headstrong, and very unsure of himself he finds himself thrust into a war he barely understands until it gets personal. Seeing the despotism of Grendel's empire up close, he throws himself whole heart into fighting it.

While I enjoyed Andrew, I actually don't think he was the most interesting character in the book. His young naivety and limited scope for viewing the problems in the Basin as a whole, made him have only a one track mind. That is, the specific struggle against the Flesh Eating Legion under Jasper Clark. This was an engaging story, with a great cast of supporting characters (who had a terrifying life expectancy) that kept me hooked.

Many of Andrew's scenes were where the action in the story shone through, and it starts off bloody. It then gets up close and personal. Largely, this is where the meat of the story excels, with it being well described and satisfyingly bloody. From knife to bayonet wounds, to the after effect of mortar bombardments, you aren't left in the dark about the horrors of combat. Though after a point, some of the description did feel perfunctory, especially in the first third where it didn't come off as quite as strong.

The use of old vs. new style weapons was pretty clever. The dirigibles flying around give any enemy a massive advantage in both scouting and firepower, but there are ways to defeat this. The most obvious course is to have a dirigible of your own, but there are other ways. I think one of my favorite visuals from the book is when Andrew and other Merrill troops are waiting behind a rise in a hill, all rifles aimed skyward with a 'balloon popper' cannon to try and blow a patrolling dirigible out of the sky if it spots them. Coupled with the rarity of Old World weapons (automatic rifles and machine guns) you get some pretty awesome steampunk action with bolt action rifles going against SAW weapons on occasion and all the imbalances that creates.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect though, is the politicking in the villain camp. While the good guys are (largely) united in purpose, the bad guys are quickly devolving into fighting amongst themselves. Grendel is after all, a warlord, and the people he works with or conquered were also warlords. And much of Grendel's time is now spent dealing with his uppity subordinates.

In the neo-fuedal future setting of the world, this works quite well. This is why I really appreciated Grendel as a character. All of Grendel's scenes are deliciously Machiavellian as we see the tyrant plotting and outsmarting opponents while trying to crack the problem of how to pass on his empire to his heirs. His son Falki (who will be starring in an upcoming novella) is something of a pain in the ass for the tyrant. Though Falki is clever in his own right, he is still a boy used to immature outbursts and doesn't quite understand the fine art of terror and politics the way Grendel does. The two competing view points between the two makes for some nice tension in Grendel's plot, and it makes me look forward to how they will play out in the future.

Grendel of course, keeps a bevy of concubines, and they too have their own politics. Trying to get their sons higher in the line of succession, and in Catalina's case, trying to get him to remember his Merrill heritage rather than the role Grendel is trying to set for him. Of course, Grendel is not entirely blind to that either. Catalina will hopefully be a major character in the future, and I look forward to seeing her use her position to her advantage as well as she possibly can.

In these scenes we also get useful world building. We learn how Grendel runs his empire, the various (and myriad) factions he employs, and even delightful little details like union/guild systems which can do things like go on strike! It makes for some fascinating interplay, and at the end of the novel seems to be setting the scene for intrigues and struggles for the good guys! I really look forward to seeing more of that in the future.

The one place where I think the world building did not shine though was establishing the overall setting. I had actually believed this was a future Earth, and while I couldn't match the geography in my head, things began to break apart as I read more. The exact nature of the Old World is left mysterious, and with little tell for how it fell apart or what technology was left behind. Much of this was based off of the world 'moving on' in the Dark Tower series, but I think that more explicit calling to the different nature of this world and then a smidge more info or theories about the Old World would have helped ground the setting.

Enjoyable little nods to the Old World abounded, one scene where Andrew is wandering through the Iron Desert and finds the remains of an abandoned house was a fun aside. The weapons and their rarity/effectiveness was a fun jump in any action scene. I did find myself hoping that other Old World tech which wasn't just weapons would come around, and maybe that will be a future plot point. Fingers crossed.

If I had to make one criticism of the novel, it was that I found the first act to not be as strong as it might have been. Andrew's early arc is well established, but we wait a while for anything to come involving Grendel or the Flesh Eating Legion (which itself could probably have been fleshed out more too) and their overall place in this world. Once we get past the initial Caroll Town arc though, the story picks up, snagging your attention and never letting go. The second and third acts I breezed through as I had time.

As a story though, it makes a valid argument for steampunk not being dead or unusable as a genre. Dirigibles, trains, telegraphs and machine guns are all intelligently and compellingly used. The Western look and feel is never wasted, and the clever plots and compelling characters are well put together. If you're looking for some great action and a really, really fascinating villain, I cannot recommend Battle for the Wastelands enough. And with a novella coming out in the near future, you won't be waiting for more from this fascinating world! Check it out!

Little People Big Guns

I've reviewed the work of Matthew Quinn before on this blog, and I'm pleased to announce I'm reviewing another great story of his! It's an...unconventional horror story to say the least. What happens when you combine mutant badgers with pissed off little people? You get Little People Big Guns!

I'd originally seen Mr. Quinn pitch this on his blog some time ago, and while the premise sounded interesting, needless to say, I was skeptical at first. However, he's done some great horror in the past managing to combine fascinating time periods and concepts pretty well. So of course I was going to read this!

Set in McTavish County Oklahoma, we follow members of the McTavish Little Person's Association as they mourn for their friend Gordon, killed by wild animals. President James is a very devout Catholic and is dealing with the loss while trying to keep everyone else calm in a trying time for the small community of little people in McTavish County. Former president Murphy thinks - not entirely wrongly - that the county won't be moved to action by this crisis and that they ought to take matters into their own hands. He sees the county as inefficient, and sincerely believes that the death of one of their members won't be taken seriously by the community at large. Both men arguably have the right of it in some way, and this little (no pun intended) clash of personalities adds some depth to each character.

The supporting cast includes other members of the Little Person's Association, members Marquise and Angela. Marquise is another outspoken member of the group who tries to get along in the world any way he can, being a delightfully sexually out there character. His lifestyle puts him in almost constant conflict with Murphy who is very outspoken in his views and doesn't really care who knows. Angela, the only woman of the group, is someone who suffers both from being the only woman (and so treated a little patronizingly by the men) and also with the many other problems faced by the little people in the area.

Put together, they won't take CRAP from anyone. Especially not any giant mutant badgers running amok.

This was a very fun book. I was laughing out loud when I read it, especially from the earnestness of the characters and the amazingly funny lines and terrifying situations they were in which were played absolutely straight. It was the characterization that made this work. James is a very strict Catholic characters, and the numerous asides in his head and discussions about religion beefed up his character. His determination to do right by everyone, even if that person is trying to kill him, puts him at odds with the more abrasive Murphy who is very much the type to go for the throat, even if its a little extra-legal. Murphy's determination to take action in their own hands makes him a powerful foil for James. I really enjoyed how the two played off of each other.

One thing which makes this story stand out is that it really makes you look at the world from the perspective of a little person. All the main characters are those who were born of very short stature or with dwarfism, or to use what is considered a pejorative among the community, midgets. This opens a whole new perspective on the world for readers which makes all their actions, from walking and running to getting attention from folks (big people) all the more interesting. Honestly, its a very fresh view on horror which made me think, something I like.

In doing so Quinn  had to write the action scenes under some interesting limitations. From firing guns to driving cars, you have different priorities. I liked how it brought these issues to the forefront and made me consider how the characters would solve various problems.

The monster badgers were a wonderful outside context problem. Who on Earth would think of using badgers as monstrous creatures? It is hilarious when you find out who the villains are. The rather comically extreme views had me laughing out loud while finishing the book.

One lovely improvement is how the author handles the female characters in this one. The character Jane gets a well rounded attitude, and some redeeming qualities, while not quite as well rounded as the male protagonists, she manages to be an engaging character who turned out amazingly well in the finale. Unfortunately, the character Angela, still came off feeling like the token woman on the hero side. She also played a part in the finale, but one would almost be forgiven for forgetting she exists in this work.

I genuinely enjoyed this story. It was funny, scary and well plotted, which made me just binge read it all the way through. For a short and fun read you can always count on Matthew Quinn.

The Thing In The Woods

With 2017 we have another delightful tale of horror from writer Matthew Quinn. I've been pleased to review some of his work on this blog before, and I can tell you with supreme confidence he is an excellent writer. His latest offering of terror comes to you from the South in Georgia. Get ready dear readers as we journey south, deep into the wilds, and confront the murderous cult that supports, The Thing In The Woods.

This story is set in 2010 in the fallout of the Great Recession which has raged across the globe, in the little town of Edington. The story is very much driven by that backdrop, driving the leader of the cult in his devotion to protect the town. Our main character is forced into the poorer section of town by the loss of his father's high paying job and into dire economic circumstances.

Thing explores the story from both a Lovecraftian perspective (the unknown horror in the Woods and its unfathomable goals) and the cultural perspective. The methods of the cult are by no means commendable (blood sacrifice to an eldritch horror) but the desires are. The cult seeks to protect Edington from outside interference, and of course, keep the horror from eating everything in the immediate area. However, perspectives on how good this is vary, even inside the cult.

Guest Post: Donald Trump, Liberal Millennials, and THE THING IN THE WOODS

Though the 2016 election was a surprising turn of events for people all around the world as the unexpected candidate Donald Trump snatched the Republican nomination from out of nowhere then created the greatest electoral upset in nearly a century; it is not as surprising as finding a Lovecraftian horror infesting the woods near your where you live. Though maybe for some of you it was. Here author and fellow blogger Matthew Quinn lays out how some of his characters from his recent novel, The Thing in the Woods would most likely have acted if this story were set ten years further on in history during an election year. Being set in rural Georgia (a state which Trump carried with over 50% of the vote) it is easy to see how the ages and occupations of these characters set them out in support of nefarious goings on, or bias them against it and how such biases can be used to make excellent conflict in stories. I'll let Mr. Quinn take it from here and show you what he means.

The 2016 presidential election was, at least in part, a generational conflict. A significant chunk of Donald Trump's support came from older, more traditionalist people who disliked recent cultural and economic changes. Fears of "cultural displacement" motivated members of the white working class to vote for a man one would think resembles a particularly boorish boss instead of a champion of the little guy. A great many self-identified Christians supported Trump despite his history of rancidly un-Christian behavior for much the same reason.

Flashing Steel Flashing Fire: A Short Story Collection.

Well readers here I being you another excellent review. I have given some glowing reviews of the works of author Matthew Quinn's work before. Here though I offer you the opportunity to enjoy all of Quinn's published works, as well as three new stories as yet seen by the world in one easy reading location.

I present to you, Flashing Steel and Flashing Fire!

This is of course an anthology, making it one of Quinn's longest published works so far. I've reviewed some of the stories available in the publication already, so I think I'll just stick to talking about two of the stories contained herein.

The first new story I'd like to talk about is Nicor. Nicor is a sort of combination period piece combined with a horror story. Here we have the Vikings taking on an eerie mythological swamp beast in a battle to the death and they find their weapons and courage almost useless when fighting the beast. Its interesting as it's told through the POV of a young first time raider who has never been a-reaving before. His nervousness and uncertainty paint a vivid contrast to the experienced raiders he stands beside. With a fun twist at the end it's a delight.

Next we have Lord Giovanni's daughter. I have to admit that this one was the most difficult for me to read, not because it was a bad story, but because I have very little point of reference for the villainous reptilians who populated the story. Imagining them was difficult so it took me a while to properly get into it, but once I did we had the right amount of wit and creativity to make for a fascinating read!

The next new piece is the very interesting prologue to an aborted fantasy series called Lord of the Dolorous Tower. This one is interesting as it has a fascinating blend of post-apocalyptic fiction and high fantasy. The characters are essentially two lovable rogues from their village who go exploring an old tower. It offers some fascinating ground work for a world in which it is suffering from an asteroid strike. It deals with some fascinating magic and world building while giving us a great romp with these two explorers, though it is a wee bit dark I'll just say.

Finally we have the ending piece Westernmost Throne. It's a 'political' horror story which is fairly unique in and of itself. It follows the tale of a young political secretary who discovers she may be in just a tad over her head when her up and coming political boss turns out to be more than he seems... I won't say too much here as it needs to be read to be appreciated. This one certainly subverts expectations! I can say I quite enjoyed it and I think you will too!

Now that't it for all the new material, but it has a number of old favorites like Melon Heads and Illegal Aliens! If you've ever read any of Matthew Quinn's work before I highly recommend you pick this piece up! It's a fantastic anthology and as I've said before, Mr. Quinn does not disappoint.

So I heartily encourage you to go pick it up!

I VILL TAKE OVER ZE WORLD…Or Will I?

In relation to my previous review about Picking Up Plans in Palma here now is a guest post from blogger/writer Matthew Quinn! Let him take it away with a little treatise on World Domination!

Guest Post by Matthew W. Quinn

In fiction, whenever there’s an Evil Empire to be found, world domination is their goal. S.M. Stirling’s Draka believed their social system could not survive so long as there was any alternative and so sought self-preservation through world domination. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sauron called himself King of Men and Lord of the Earth. There’s plenty of real-life precedent — Hitler sought to dominate Europe and in his second book revealed he thought that a Nazified Europe’s last and greatest enemy would be the United States. The first Soviet leaders believed in World Revolution and even Stalin’s “socialism in one country” was not a permanent renunciation of that goal. Even Osama bin Laden, a pirate rather than a Dark Lord, demanded the United States convert to Islam.

In the Afrikanerverse, the world where “Coil Gun” and “Picking Up Plans In Palma” take place, there was no Nazism, this world’s version of WWII destroyed the USSR and its motley collection of “anti-imperialist” allies, and an early chastisement of the Wahabis left radical Islam a purely local phenomenon. Instead, the Evil Empire is the Afrikaner Confederation, a white supremacist (for a certain value of “white” that changes based on geography and political convenience) empire stretching from Cape Town to the southern fringes of the Sudan and from the Bight of Biafra across the Red Sea and southern Arabia into India and southeast Asia. Alongside a collection of traditionalist and authoritarian allies like the Hejaz, an enlarged Persia, a Sikh regime governing our world’s Pakistan, and the Kingdom of Thailand, the Afrikaners stand for what they view as traditional values and God-ordained hierarchies in the face of the corrosive Enlightenment liberalism characterizing the United States and its allies in the League of Democracies.

And unlike in our world, this Cold War ends with a bang rather than a whimper. “Coil Gun” takes place the opening night of WWIII, in which the Afrikaners use Australian backing for Indian nationalist rebels and refusal to submit to their vengeful demands as a casus belli to launch a nuclear first-strike on the United States.

What is the Afrikaners’ aim? Some Americans would claim this was the Confederation’s long-awaited bid for world domination, to impose their hierarchical social order and stern religion on all mankind. And it’s not like there wouldn’t be members of the Confederation’s ruling Theonomic Party eager “to bring the whole world into obedience to Christ.”

However, despite both sides’ lip service, the Confederation’s war aims are surprisingly limited for something that looks like a grab for all the marbles. They’re more interested in destroying all League members and allies on their immediate borders in Africa, Asia, and the Indian Ocean, either conquering them outright or reducing them to puppets. Returning Europe and the United States to the faith once for all delivered unto the saints, though a welcome thought, is not a realistic aim, and crippling the League of Democracies militarily and economically for a generation or more will work just as well. It’s true that history has seen conquerors try to take on everybody at once (most fail sooner or later, but some do well), but most conquerors have far more limited aims. Not only are the Afrikaners generally a prudent people, but picking a fight with the Chinese Empire (a neutral Great Power they’re sparred with before) at the same time they challenge this world’s NATO (spanning Europe, North America, and Japan) would daunt all but the most deranged.

Unfortunately (for the Afrikaners), as depicted in “Coil Gun,” things don’t work out. Always remember how no battle plan survives contact with the enemy. In this case, despite the Afrikaners shooting first, the League of Democracies’ orbital military infrastructure is able to not only withstand their attack and prevent significant damage to their respective homelands but totally devastates the Afrikaners and their allies. This is what happens when you don’t educate most of your population to the degree needed for them to reach their full potential  and when you have to spend lots of resources on the instruments of war and repression rather than on science.

Picking Up Plans in Palma

Well here again readers do I have the pleasure of reviewing a piece by fellow blogger Matthew Quinn. This one comes once again from his excellent alternate history universe (which I have mentioned before) and deals with some good old fashioned spy vs. spy action over who gets the plans to the big old battle station parked in orbit.

Since this potentially decides who wins World War III, the stakes really couldn't be higher! Taking place in a world where an uber-Calvinist Afrikaner Confederation (comprising much of Southern Africa, India, and the Middle East) has combined into an alliance of various vassal states vs the League of Democracies (United States, Germany, United Kingdom and colonies, among others). It's a Cold War threatening to go hot and we get some interesting looks at the world and culture behind it.

The story I present to you is: Picking Up Plans in Palma

The story of course takes place in Palma within the Confederation and our hapless young spy (who isn't even a field agent) is sent in to pick up the plans after an informant gets caught due to a high ranking traitor exposing multiple people. Therefore Connor Kelly, an unlikely field agent, gets sent into the fray.

It's a fun spy story with lots of interesting twists and turns but shows us an interesting side of the Afrikaner Confederation. Connor is dating a Confederate expat, one who's a flaming liberal by the Confederation's standards but insanely conservative by American standards which makes for an interesting contrast at home. Due to her origins she's also under intense scrutiny from the American intelligence services, something with make's poor Connor's life even more difficult as he falls under scrutiny for potentially being a liability.

There's also more interesting cultural separation as we learn that people flee the Confederation because of the new near theocratic Theonomic Party which has taken power in the Confederation. It's religious intolerance and Dominionist tendencies make it unpalatable to many Afrikaners and even twist the guts of many moderates (as Connor himself finds out). It's a great cultural comparison.

There's some wonderful spy craft in evidence with lots of interesting action I just can't spoil. Suffice to say its an action packed, but fast read.

I'd heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a good spy thriller on Kindle, and I'd recommend any of Mr. Quinn's other work as well. He's established a wonderful universe and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.

The Weekly Word #3

Though the title here is a bit inaccurate (I am insanely behind scheduel) and I apologize, I promise in the coming weeks I shall make up for my tardiness with many a blog post!

I suppose though I ought to get this quickfix out of the way and on with something of more substance though eh?

Now of course as everyone ought to know, Canada has a new future monarch in the form of the young Prince George (I actually had the name right btw) and he is such a cute little baby prince! Hopefully he will someday sweep another common girl off her feet and continue what seems to be a good pattern amongst the monarchy and bring in some fresh blood and establish a strong tie with the people.

He's also adorable

Many people of course took the opportunity of the hype surrounding the royal baby to bring out their rabid hatred of the royal family whether they had a legitimate point or not. I am a firm supporter of the monarchy and since many of the people who hate them seem to think that the royal family's biggest sin is either a) being a royal or b) being wealthy I can't stand the uninformed and idiotic criticism. Much of it is also hypocritical in my opinion since I saw far fewer people complaining over the media circus which was the birth of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's daughter, North West.

Long live the Queen and hail to the new born prince I say!

In other less happy news, it seems that the military take over of Egypt is going nowhere. Mind you the Muslim Brotherhood wasn't exactly a bastion of democracy and liberal values, and Morsi probably deserved to go. My greatest criticism of the military is for their brutal crackdown and rather ugly handling of the protests which have been dispersed with liberal ammounts of tear gas and bullets.

This in many ways though is like the French Revolution, there was no real power structure ready to take the place of the monarchy in France when they overthrew the king, and likewise when the protestors topples Mubarak the only group which had the political apparatus and popular support in place was the Muslim Brotherhood, who much like the National Assembly proved unpopular and were consequently overthrown. We can only hope that the military government in Egypt however, turns out nothing like the French Committee of Public Safety.

In news from around the internet and popular media I am pleased to announce that the first trailer for the new film 47 Ronin is out. Though I was a little disapointed it would not be the historical thriller about the true forty-seven ronin I had been expecting, I will admit the film looks to be the Japanese version of 300, and that could be something. It seems like it is worth watching, but here look at the trailer and decide for yourself.

Speaking of 300, the sequel, Rise of Empire continues to astound us with a lovely parade of teaser trailers which merely make me want to see it more. See for yourself!

In other news Matthew Quinn is releasing a slew of short stories right now. I've just finished his most recent story in the Afrikaner verse, Picking up Plans in Palma which I will be reviewing soon. It is a wonderful espionage thriller. Taking place in a world where a hyper-Calvinist South African federation/theocracy faces off in a cold war between a larger US it details one agents plan to pick up where his predecessor failed to obtain battle plans for a new orbital space station mounting space planes and kinetic weapons.

Its a fun read and a great universe with a fascinating alternate history!!

The World in question.

Combined with that he is doing a series of short stories centering around the ubermenshe Andrew Patel. I have yet to read these stories but I would recommend picking them up for sure! His writing was already wonderful, and thus far it is only improving.

As a final note I would like to share something my fellow blogger Korsgaard has also shared. There is an attempt ongoing right now to create a mini-series on kickstarter called The Confederation. The series deals with the question 'What if the Confederacy had won the Civil War?' Now this is of course one of the most often asked and contentious questions asked in alternate history, it is an interesting answer this project provides.

In this scenario the Confederacy is bogged down in a brutal Vietnam-esque occupation of Cuba and is fighting a guerilla war to keep a hold on the island. It follows a group of female snipers (showing the Confederation is really pressed for manpower) and former slaves as they tromp across the island in a savage war for control of the land.

It is an interesting take on a war series and an awesome bit of alternate history, I sincerely hope it gets off the ground.

This is a link to their Facebook page and website. It doesn't seem to have the support they need so I would ask that people please look into it.

Though I must note they seem to be going through some trouble right now so the project may simply be on hold. Only time will tell though.

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Well readers this caps up the 'Weekly' Word #3. I have some new posts coming up, and God willing I will keep up with the Weekly word scheduel now! Thank you for your patience and please keep on reading!

Guest Post: The Strange Death of Sokullu Mehmed Pasha

As a history enthusiast myself this information and the very odd, yet fascinating, version of history it presents is to much to pass up!

Guest blog post from Matthew Quinn of the wonderful blog The World According to Quinn, who is also the writer of many fine stories which may be found on Amazon, and should really be added to your Kindle!

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From A New Look at Sokullu Mehmed Pasha, published at Miskatonic University.

The consensus of historians on the assassination of Grand Vizier Sokullu Mehmed Pasha on October 11, 1579 AD (or 20 Sha'ban 987 AH in the Islamic reckoning) is fairly well-known in our field. The Ottoman Sultan Murad III, alienated from the vizier who had served his father and grandfather so long and ably by his mother Narbanu Sultan and Venetian-born wife Safiye Sultan, took steps to reduce the vizier's influence on government. The vizier's allies were sent to faraway positions or assassinated. Ultimately, a mentally-unstable dervish talked his way into the vizier's office and stabbed him. This kind of intrigue was fairly common in the Ottoman Empire, especially during the period known as the Sultanate of Women.

However, some recent discoveries by Miskatonic University researchers of documents thought lost forever during the civil unrest that wracked Constantinople when the Janissaries were suppressed has shed new light on the circumstances of the vizier's assassination and an incident that took place in 1571.

These documents paint a far more sinister picture of the vizier. They include accusations of dealings with agents of Safavid Persia, with whom the vizier had counseled peace as opposed to the usual border wars, and even black magic. The documents accuse the vizier of, under the influence of an agent of Persian Shah Tahmasp I, acquiring a book of black magic from an Armenian merchant who had visited the long-vacant shrine of a corrupted Sufi order that had been destroyed by Turkish nomads not long before. The use of this book resulted in an incident in Constantinople that killed dozens of Ottoman soldiers, destroyed one war galley and forced the scuttling of a second, and caused significant damage to the Bayezit II mosque.

These accusations against Sokullu are not new, but have been long dismissed as the slanders from his political enemies. However, the mosque was damaged somehow, necessitating repairs by the famed Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan in 1573 and 1574. Furthermore, it is often said that converts make the best zealots. Safiye Sultan was a Catholic before she became a Muslim, while the most recent evidence suggests Narbanu was an Orthodox Greek from Corfu before her conversion. If Sokullu was involved in the dark arts, or was widely believed so, this could have provoked the ire of the Imperial women. They would not wish one so tainted to continue virtually ruling the Ottoman Empire in place of their son and husband. And the dervish orders might be willing to provide an assassin to dispose of the vizier, especially given his (tangential) connection to a Sufi order that had become warped by dark forces.

Of course, this is all just speculation. The documents describe how the soldiers killed in the incident were buried in a mass grave outside Constantinople that was given special attention by Muslim imams, Orthodox Christian priests, and even a Jewish rabbi, while the materials used by Sokullu in the incident were confiscated, burned, and abandoned in Persia. Should this mass grave or the dumping site be found, it would lend credence to the incident described in the documents.

So just why was the Grand Vizier assassinated, and is the author's theory about dark powers manifesting in Constantinople actually true? Read "The Beast of the Bosporus" on Amazon.com or on Smashwords to find out!

The Beast of the Bosporus, Matthew Quinn

Well it's that time again readers! Another review! This time though I have the pleasure of presenting fellow blogger and writer, Matthew Quinn's work. I am happy to say that Mr. Quinn was my inspiration for seriously beggining my own written works and he was one of a number of influences in my decision to start this blog! I follow his blog The World According to Quinn (and you can see his recent posts on the right hand side) and I highly encourage readers to follow him! If you haven't done so already do so now! I would encourage readers to be on the lookout for his works in the future!

Mr. Quinn's most recent work though, is taking an old favorite and depositing it in a completely new setting. Today I present to you The Beast of the Bosporus!

The story adds to the long rich history of the Cthulu Mythos and takes it to an exotic, and distinctly un-American setting, and the first to set it directly in the Muslim world. The medieval Muslim world! The story picks up after the Battle of Lepanto, and the Ottomans are rightly worried about the encroachment of Christian forces on their territory and whether this could damage their control on the  Mediterranean. In order to prevent this we see the Grand Vizier Sokullu Mehmed Pasha forced to come up with some rather...creative solutions shall we say readers? To that end he contacts Jelal, a creepy collecter who knows of a book which promises great power to those who read it. Intrigued Mehmed begins to pursue the offer unaware that it may lead to some very serious consequences with cosmic implications.

Now to break into my review style!

The Good:

As previously mentioned this story takes the well known Cthulu mythos and proudly goes where no writer has gone before! Setting it in the Ottoman Empire and blends the exotic flavour of the Near East with the cosmic horror of Cthulu and his spawn.

The portryal of the Ottoman Empire (or Sublime State as it is so wonderfully called) is a fair, open and entirely apolitical one. A very refreshing view in today's world where more often than not any character is open to demonization if they are shown as a Muslim. Instead here we get an open cast of scheming politicians, honorable court nobles, and brave warriors. It is a varied and diverse cast featuring characters from all over the Empire. We have Janissaries, Armenian merchants, Turkmen, and Persians presented and all within the political framework of the Ottoman empire.

Using the Sublime State as a setting also gives us an example to see how a culture that isn't upper class American or Christian would react to the encroachment of the Old Ones. Unsurprisingly it is with horrified revulsion and disgust. The uniquely Islamic influences and actions are interesting refreshing and a joy to read. It shows you that the author has done his homework for this piece. Quite rigorously in fact. This is fabulous as the level of detail it adds to the story is just beautiful and we see he has quite keenly grasped the historical tension which drives the plot and the rich flavour and ideas behind the people ruling the Sublime State. As a history buff and lover of things exotic this is fascinating to read and I absolutely love it!

Then of course we come to the meat of the story, the cosmic horror of it all. This is established by once again going to the forgotten and lonely places of the world and some snooping around where one should not be snooping. This leads to a beautifully done scene which I won't spoil for the reader which is both masterfully scripted, and completely chilling at the same time. Needless to say it gets the job done in establishing how our story unfolds.

From here the horror truly begins and Matthew weaves a delightfully disturbing tale of half remembered visions and waking fits of near madness as the insidious grasp of the Old Ones begins to take hold of the characters minds. The way he establishes the thoughts of his characters and how our main character Mehmed believes he will be controlling the monster and his efforts to try and stave off the insanity that tries to engulf him are well written and professionally narrated so we see the Pasha's trip down the rabbit hole.

Also there is a wonderful subplot of tension between Mehmed and Joseph Nassi for influence in court. Established right away, we see that there is a power struggle between the two and they each wish to influence the Sultan and have their own plans and ambitions furthered.

Finally the story comes to a shocking, and alltogether satisfying conclusion which I don't think anyone could complain about, and leaves you wondering where reality ends and madness begins.

The Bad:

To be truthful I really don't have much to criticize in this story. There is no bad characterization, the plot is solid, it flows easily and has a wonderful written style. Though if I absolutely had to make a few quibbles there are two things that I think might have been different.

Mr. Quinn did seem to put too much effort into describing the beasts though, while cursory description is of course necessary, I think it may have been better had be stuck to vague and general outlying details while concentrating on the characters complete incomprehension and physical revulsion at what they are seeing. This is a great way to both establish just how foreign the Elder beasts really are, as well as let the reader's imagination fill in the disturbing gaps which increase the terror. (Not that they weren't terrifying mind you).

Something we might have seen more of was good in depth descriptions of what each character is doing and how he precisely reacts to an event, from their facial expressions to whether they are gripping their chair in white knuckled terror. The description was good but I would have liked to see a bit more depth to it.

These minor descriptive issues aside there is nothing bad to say about this story from me. It entertained, chilled, and amused me.

The Verdict:

Well ladies and gentlemen I am about to do something unheard of yet on this site, I will give out a five star rating. This story does exactly what it sets out to do. It scares, thrills and excites the reader and keeps him on his toes as he wonders how things will play out in the end. The story is short, interesting, and keeps you sucked in all the way through! I read it all in one sitting too! It satisfied my love of Lovecraft and makes a wonderful addition to the overall mythos of the Cthulu series. I'm quite satisfied with the results!

That being said Mr. Quinn is a writer to watch, as I have mentioned before he has a steampunk novel that will hopefully be coming out some time in the near future and he has a number of other projects on the go as well. Keep an eye out for this up and coming author ladies and gents! You won't regret it!

I highly encourage readers to go to Amazon and get this story which can be found in his excellent Flashing Steel Flashing Fire anthology and buy it! Support an up and coming author! It's the right thing to do! You won't be disappointed! I know I wasn't.

So again I say five out of five stars for this wonderful piece of short fiction. Until next time dear readers, until next time.

Cover Art

So I was recently reading through the blog and Facebook page of fellow blogger Matthew Quinn, and he has been making some excellent observations and notes regarding the writing industry. Recently he made a number of good points about cover art.

Cover art is essential for any story. Think about it, one may write an excellent story but without a catchy title and some flashy cover art it is all but impossible to grab the attention of potential buyers. Cover art can almost be as important as the story itself. It's been said that first impressions are the most lasting, and if someone does not get a good first impression of your book then they simply won't even pick it up.

I'm going to look at some bits of cover work and examine them to give people an idea of what can be good for cover work and get people's attention, and then examine some terrible cover art which should best be left on the drawing board.

First is Mr. Quinn's upcoming e-book Melon Heads.

At first glance it is simple, yet engrossing. We have a good title which leads potential buyers to question what it is about. The style is eye grabbing and also let's us know this is a work of horror with what must be a rather unique creature set. In one glance we get genre, ideas, and interest. Effective as advertising as it leads to great potential for people to pick it up. I for one am buying this book and I would encourage readers to do so as well.

So for another bit of the horror (or more comedic) genre we have Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

This of course is the first film poster, but on the most recent mass market paper bound copy I purchased it was also the cover art. At a glance we have a moon lit scene with a shadow shrouded Lincoln with his signature hat at a jaunty angle. We get a view of his signature weapon from the book and a basic idea of what he is doing. Again it is informative, a good visual and gives the reader an idea of what to expect.

Moving on to a more recent mainstream selection we have Stephen King's most recent novel 11-22-63.

Now we know first off that this is a Stephen King novel (his name is larger than the title) and under that we see the image of JFK and a newspaper article proclaiming him slain in Dallas. This of course is not very informative and leaves readers wondering what exactly the book is about. It of course grabs attention and encourages someone to pick it up. The main selling point though is the authors name which will grab any longtime fans immediate attention.

Now here's one by one of my favorite authors. David Weber.

The first book in the grand Honor Harrington series. Simple cover, shows off the science fiction aspects of the story and of course we have the famous authors name. We get a good look at the main character and even some visual ideas of the general uniforms of people in the series.

I've been examining the cover art for various science fiction stories in order to formulate a rough idea of what I think would be an appropriate cover for my Service to the State series. More on that later.

Now for bad cover art we have a culprit none other than SM Stirling.

I've always been rather disgusted with the cover work for the Emberverse series. While it grabs attention it has always been rather tacky and generic, doesn't give you any idea of what is going on in the stories and has some ridiculous elements in it. For instance the two draft horse pulling the bus up there (a bus which, as my friend noticed still has its lights running). The series is a constant repeat offender of this and I sincerely wish Stirling would find a different cover artist.

Yet another is Micheal Z. Williamson

This book is marginally related to his Freehold verse. The title is rather awful, gives you no idea of what is going on and depends on a scantily clad woman to attaract attention. In any respect that is a sign of poor work and a desperate grab at the male audience.

So some good some bad. I think that a writer looking for good cover art should have a snappy visual, an intriguing title and of course a good story behind it. Good cover art should have images directly related to the story at hand, not something eye grabbing just because it looks cool. For instance if your writing a story about a starship captain stranded in space don't have your cover image of a man in a spacesuit standing on an alien planet. Nor should you put a picture of an alien in it just because you think it looks cool. Make the cover art about your story, not just another picture of a scantly clad woman.

So in pondering on cover art for Service to the State and for the first book I have decided I would like to find someone who could attempt to illustrate the male and female leads (Jessica and Laurent) in front of a generic world image. Since there are space battles in the book perhaps have an exploding ship in the background (rule of cool after all dear readers). I think with a snappy title and good visuals that would draw potential readers in.

So with this look at cover art and my thoughts on the subject I once again bid you adieu until next time readers, and return to writing my own stories.