A Whisker Behind by W.R. Gingell
SPFBO Status: Cut
Blurb:
Searching for redemption in the shifting realm between the human and fae worlds, not-so-reformed fae steward Athelas seems likely instead to find death, dismemberment, and deadly magic…
Exiled, excommunicated, and with a bounty on his head, Athelas is lying low in Seoul for exactly one reason: he has a wedding to attend. Whether or not he’s welcome is another matter.
Luckily for Athelas, several bodies have turned up with their soft insides gnawed out, whether by magic or Behindkind—and the latest of those bodies is at the very wedding hall he has been staking out. The Behindkind investigators suspect one of Athelas’ housemates: YeoWoo, a gumiho with a thirst for revenge and an even greater appetite for soft underbelly than Athelas. To buy herself time, YeoWoo barters alibis with the suspiciously quiet fae sharing her house, but to remain free, she must find the real murderer.
By joining the investigation, Athelas has exactly the chance he needs to prove that he is now a repentant, changed, and selfless fae, bent on atoning for former deeds…no matter how many Behindkind and humans he has to cut through to confirm that impression.
General Thoughts:
Athelas is an assassin. Well, he used to be anyway. Unfortunately, he did something that resulted in him being removed from his old job. Now, he wants back in. That’s why he’s in Seoul, where his former colleagues are planning a wedding and he’s waiting for the right moment to prove that he’s changed. It just so happens that young men are being murdered and his housemate, YeoWoo, is a prime suspect. What better way to make amends than to selflessly help clear her name. And so began this reader’s introduction to Behindkind, and the realms and rules that exist beyond the human world.
A Whisker Behind is an urban fantasy novel by W.R. Gingell that’s on the darker side in terms of its humor and occasional violence. While it’s the first book in The Worlds Behind series, it’s actually a spin-off of another series by Gingell, The City Between series. Because of this, there are key details missing to explain what happened in Athelas’ past. Luckily, I was more intrigued by the whodunnit storyline and the dynamics between its unlikely investigators, Athelas and YeoWoo. Athelas is a morally gray fae who’s more likely to laugh than get angry when someone does something unexpected to him. He also exhibits more formal mannerisms and language. YeoWoo, on the other hand, is a slightly impulsive gumiho (someone who can shift into a many-tailed fox creature). Her previous experiences with loss have left her guarded and vengeful. Each chapter alternates between these two, allowing you to get to know them well. The remaining characters that pass through Athelas’ house evoke equal measures of levity and contemplation, although their own secrets are yet to be revealed.
While fae may have played a larger role in the previous series, A Whisker Behind focuses more on gumiho culture and their leadership. This also means there was a more limited view of the other worlds that exist for Behindkind. While the pace felt on the slower side due to the story being more character-focused, I really enjoyed how the bond between Athelas and YeoWoo evolved over the course of the story. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Athelas still has more work to do on his redemption tour…
No Heart for a Thief by James Lloyd Dulin
SPFBO Status: Cut
Blurb:
We are the stories we tell ourselves…even the lies.
The Thief, a great spirit, and her descendants have abused their ability to steal magic for centuries. When Kaylo starts to hear the song of other people’s magic, he must learn to hide from his people as well as the invaders. A gift or a curse, Kaylo may be able to save his people from the Gousht Empire that claimed their land with this stolen magic.
Eighteen years later, Kaylo still prays to the spirits, but not out of loyalty or love. He knows better than to rely on those selfish bastards for anything. While hiding in the forest from his foolish acts of rebellion, he encounters a girl, Tayen, being pursued by two soldiers of the empire. Against his better judgment, he risks facing the consequences of his past to intervene.
When Tayen attempts to run off seeking vengeance for her family, he offers to train her to wield her magic and a blade. If he can’t convince her to relinquish her need for vengeance and stave off the demons of his past, he’s going to get them both killed.
General Thoughts:
No Heart for a Thief, the first book in the Malitu series by James Lloyd Dulin, starts off with quite the introduction between its main characters, Kaylo and Tayen. After discovering that her family’s been murdered, Tayen is trying to outrun a similar fate at the hands of some Gousht soldiers. Kaylo picks up on the commotion and decides to intervene, despite his past experiences and the attention it could bring. The soldiers mistakenly believe that neither the fourteen-year-old girl nor the middle-aged man before them are a threat as they aim to carry out their orders. While Tayen attempts to call upon The Song for protection, she is quickly overpowered. Little do the soldiers know, but Kaylo is known as Ennea’s Thief for his ability to steal the magical abilities of others. Afterward, all Tayen wants to do is avenge her family. Knowing that she’s not ready for such an undertaking, Kaylo offers to mentor her, all while hoping to talk her out of it, lest she make the same mistakes as him…
When Kaylo was young, the Gousht Empire invaded Ennea, forcing them to adopt a new belief system around what they call “The One True God”. Considering many Enneans had magical abilities bestowed upon them by one of seven Great Spirits, this forced them to renounce their gifts or risk death. This theme on the impact of colonialism resonates throughout the tale. We’re also able to see the consequences of resistance through Kaylo’s eyes as Dulin alternates the storyline between the past and the present. In doing so, the present day is written in third person, while the past is in first person due to it reflecting Kaylo telling the story to Tayen. It’s through Kaylo’s storytelling that we learn about Ennea’s history, culture, and lore regarding the Great Spirits. The reader goes into the story knowing that Kaylo has experienced some heartbreaking moments, forcing him to carry an enormous amount of guilt, so it was interesting to fill in the blanks. While I enjoyed Dulin’s writing style, this story felt more like a stepping stone to the next novel, especially given how it eventually wraps up. All in all, No Heart for a Thief is a character-driven debut novel with impressive worldbuilding and relevant themes.
The Wings of Ashtaroth by Steve Hugh Westenra
SPFBO Status: Cut
Blurb:
The great city of Qemassen is at a crossroads. A powerful empire from beyond the ocean threatens to reignite a centuries-old feud. A slave rebellion brews in the tangled labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city streets. And Crown Prince Ashtaroth, the city’s supposed saviour, is considered unfit to rule even by those closest to him.
When the high priest burns one of the royal children alive as a desperate offering to the city’s absentee gods, it destroys the fragile peace within Qemassen’s scheming first family. Seeking revenge for the death of her child, Ashtaroth’s mother calls on a powerful demon named Lilit.
But Lilit cannot be trusted. Her cruel machinations pit brother against sister and father against daughter, laying waste to Ashtaroth’s family. Then Lilit approaches Ashtaroth with a demonic pact of his own-one that could save his people and his home. But between war from without and a revolution erupting within, even a demon may not be enough to keep Qemassen standing.
Set in a secondary world based on the conflict between Ancient Carthage and Rome, The Wings of Ashtaroth is a sprawling, multi-POV epic fantasy, full of queerness, political intrigue, and demons.
General Thoughts:
This novel kicks off by following the high priest of Qemassen as he tries to calm the people of the city. Considering the ongoing drought and impending war, the gods clearly haven’t been satisfied by any of the previous sacrifices. So instead, he offers up one of the children from the royal family. In a last-ditch effort to protect her child, Queen Moniqa makes a deal with a demon, seeking vengeance for the high priest’s selfish ways. The result isn’t what she intended and will have lasting repercussions for her family and their home.
The Wings of Ashtaroth by Steve Hugh Westenra is book one in The Sands of Hazzan series. This book actually started as a serialized novel, with each release focusing on one point-of-view at a time. It’s set in a world akin to ancient Mediterranean civilizations, complete with gladiators. Given how the novel starts, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the following content warnings are included: “Violence (including against children), sexual violence, domestic abuse, parental abuse, incest, and bigotry.” It’s clear how much time Westenra put into the finer details surrounding worldbuilding, political machinations, relationships, and character development. He is a captivating writer and I really enjoyed how the storyline shifted with each change in the point-of-view (usually from one cliffhanger to another). The characters are distinct and will evoke a wide range of emotions in the reader. Something that probably worked more in its favor as a serialized novel is its length: over 480,000 words. It’s a well-written chonker if that’s something that speaks to you.
Under the Lesser Moon by Shelly Campbell
SPFBO Status: Semifinalist
Blurb:
‘Dragons once led our people across the wastelands, away from storms, and toward hunting grounds.’
That’s what the elders say, but eleven-year-old Akrist has squinted at empty skies his whole life. The dragons have abandoned them, and it’s Akrist’s fault. He’s cursed. Like every other firstborn son, he has inherited the sins of his ancestors. In his camp, he’s the only eldest boy left. Something happened to the others.
Something terrible.
When Akrist befriends Tanar, an eldest boy from another tribe, he discovers the awful truth: they’re being raised as sacrifices to appease the Goddess and win back her dragons. The ritual happens when the dual moons eclipse. Escape is the only option, but Akrist was never taught to hunt or survive the wastelands alone. Time is running out, and he has to do something before the moons touch.
General Thoughts:
In a world where religion and superstition permeate every aspect of life, a brutal sacrifice involving a daeson, the oldest born son, is held every twelve years to appease the god Nasheria. This horrifying sacrifice is shrouded in mystery, leaving Daeson Akrist with no clue what the ceremony will entail. Whatever happens, it is clear that there are almost no Daeson older than twelve in any of the camps Akrist has encountered. As the ceremony draws closer, the suspense thickens and grows to horror as more details are revealed. Can Akrist somehow find a way out of this nightmare, before the unimaginable happens?
I will in no way sugarcoat Under the Lesser Moon. It is a dark, grim, and quite frankly a difficult book to read due to the detailed and violent sacrifices exacted upon children, even young babies. Being quite pregnant with a little boy while I was reading Under the Lesser Moon, I struggled and cried at one especially graphic, heartbreaking, and helpless sequence. Additionally, there is violence against women in this male-dominated culture.
Due to the violence, I debated on whether to pick this novel as my SPFBO semifinalist, but in the end chose Under the Lesser Moon due to Campbell’s gripping storytelling that kept me hooked and guessing throughout. Sans the sacrifices, which adds an undercurrent of looming dread in every interaction, I was drawn into the isolated social dynamics of the camps, often wondering where Campbell would navigate the story next. The brilliant ending will have readers questioning and revisiting so many aspects of the established lore. It is so delightfully unexpected, turning everything we know about this religion and its superstitions upside down.
A Rival Most Vial: Potioneering for Love and Profit by R.K. Ashwick
SPFBO Status: Semifinalist
Blurb:
Two potion shops, one heated rivalry…until hate bubbles over into something else.
Any adventurer worth their sword knows about Ambrose Beake. The proud, quiet half-elf sells the best, and only, potions in the city—until a handsome new shopkeeper named Eli opens another potion shop across the street, throwing Ambrose’s peace and ledgers far off balance.
Within weeks, they’re locked in a war of price tags and products—Ambrose’s expertise against Eli’s effortless charm. Toil leads to trouble, the safety gloves come off, and right as their rivalry reaches a boiling point…
The mayor commissions them to brew a potion together.
The task is as complex as it is lucrative, pushing both men to the limits of their abilities and patience. Yet as the fires burn and cauldrons bubble…they find a different sort of chemistry brewing.
General Thoughts:
Ambrose Beake is well-known for his quality potions in the adventuring world. He also has a knack for making the impossible possible, producing items that others wouldn’t even bother trying to make. It’s Ambrose’s knowledge and precision that make him successful at his job. After a new shop opens up across the street, it’s revealed that the new owner, Eli Valenz, deals in elixirs (which is really just another word for potions). Unfortunately, Ambrose and Eli get off on the wrong foot following a misunderstanding. Eli is known to bounce around from job to job, trying to find the right fit, but he’s finally starting to feel like he belongs. And so, he feels like he needs a competitive edge to keep his business flush with customers. Thus, the divide between the two shopkeepers continues to grow, with both buying into the idea that you need to spend money to make money, until suddenly they’re forced to work together in an effort to keep their shops open. With everything that’s going wrong, what could possibly go right?
A Rival Most Vial is the first book in The Side Quest Row series by R.K. Ashwick. Rosemond Street features a delightfully diverse cast of characters that care deeply for Ambrose and all that he’s been through, even though they don’t always see where he’s coming from. Ashwick delivers on the worldbuilding, with stores built into the walls of a deep chasm, allowing for multiple levels of markets and a whole world beyond filled with dragons and beasts and adventure. As the point-of-view alternates between our two main characters, it becomes clear where their communication falls short as a result of their own insecurities. As their situations get worse, Ambrose and Eli fall further from their original selves, causing me to wonder just how Ashwick would turn things around. And of course, the chemist in me was delighted that each chapter title featured the next step in their fictitious procedure. And don’t get me started on the sketches for items designed by each shopkeeper and how well the details and imperfections seem to match their personalities. Overall, A Rival Most Vial is a funny and heartwarming read.
The Many Shades of Midnight by C. M. Debell
SPFBO Status: Semifinalist
Blurb:
Isyr. Stronger, brighter, more beautiful than other metals. Once the most desirable thing in Ellasia, now it is priceless, the pure Isyrium needed to produce it mined to exhaustion. What’s left is controlled by the powerful mining syndicates, and such is the demand for their Isyrium that even kings do their bidding. Yet just as the beauty of Isyr hides a deadly secret, so too do the syndicates.
A terrifying enemy is spreading a plague across the land, a sickness that kills or transforms everything it touches. Unable to contain the outbreaks, the King of Lankara begs the aid of the disgraced former Duke of Agrathon, Alyas-Raine Sera, a man who has spent years fighting syndicate expansion and whose resentment over his exile makes him an unpredictable, dangerous ally in the power struggle between the rulers of Ellasia and the mining companies.
Attached to the envoy to recall the duke, the apprentice surgeon Brivar finds his skills and loyalty tested as his service to his new patron uncovers secrets about Isyr and the plague that link it to the mining of Isyrium – and threaten the life of the man it is his duty to safeguard.
In their own separate ways, Alyas and Brivar must take on the might of the syndicates and confront the greed, murder, betrayal and impossible choices of a crisis that has been decades in the making – and the price of their failure could be everyone and everything.
General Thoughts:
Brivar is an apprentice surgeon from the Temple of Yholis sent with the king’s envoy to locate the former Duke of Agrathon, Alyas-Raine Sera. Not only will Brivar’s medical skills be put to the test, but also his ability to read others considering that Alyas, a renegade military leader, had been exiled by the king of Lankara fifteen years prior following the loss of hundreds of soldiers. Given the current state of the world, Alyas is now being called upon to protect Lankara’s borders and uncover the truth behind a mysterious plague that turns folks into monsters. That is, if it doesn’t kill you first. As the investigation puts them in the line of fire with the syndicates mining Isyrium (a metal that’s not only beautiful but used in almost all areas of society), secrets and conspiracies abound. It’s hard to know who to trust when greed colors every decision. It’s hard to know the right decision when failure is not an option.
The Many Shades of Midnight by C. M. Debell is a standalone book set in medieval-esque Ellasia. Throughout this tale, we see how gentle Brivar is regardless of the situation and how he wants the best for his patients, never leaving when the going gets tough. It’s also clear how the past affects Alyas and the weight he carries, striving to do what’s best for others, often at his own expense. While the story is primarily told from the perspectives of Brivar and Esar Cantrell (Alyas’ foster brother), a handful of other viewpoints are introduced later on that provide insight into how different folks are trying to deal with the growing unrest as more secrets come to light. Given the lofty political maneuvers at play here, Debell excels at balancing action with introspection. The tone of this narrative is more on the somber side, especially as it becomes clear what’s really going on and what’s at stake. All in all, Debell has penned an impressive, complete story, one where the ramifications of what transpired will stay with the reader even after the story is done.
The Critiquing Chemist 