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Hey,
So the other night I finished up No Return by Zachary Jernigan. I had some pretty high hopes for this book and while the book didn't quite meet those hopes, it was a pretty decent piece of writing.
The book falls into a category I call "science-fantasy", where there's magic and stuff, but it's applied like a science or technical discipline. Thus, there are mages who fly into space and they have spells to protect them from the vacuum of space. Magic is scarce so no magic train lines or internet or whatnot, but people investigate magic and apply it intelligently. The other thing to know about magic is that it's alchemical in nature and the base ingredient are dead elves. Really, they're called "Elder" and their well-preserved corpses are deep underground. They get mined up out of the earth and then reduced to pieces parts to power magical activity. Bone dust is a standard of currency by example.
Right, so the other major conceit is that there's a god Adrash and he's got a series of metal spheres orbiting the earth trying to decide if he's going to drop the hammer on humanity. Back on the ground people either believe Adrash is a benevolent god and we all need to try harder or that he's a complete dick who only respects defiance. Sectarian violence is controlled by allowing small, non-lethal combats to take place at specified times and places. Right now, a major contest is coming up drawing combatants from all over the world. On their way to the fight (or the series of fights following after the religious games) we have:
The three of them make their way towards the tournament and in the process learn a lot about each other and themselves. Meanwhile, an team of Elderman (Human/Elder crossbreeds) are attempting to contact Adrash but there are conflicting motives.
Like I say, it's a pretty good book. I think I was hoping for something a little more Vancian, although the setup is intriguing and fairly original. The other minus point is that the book is short and while it finds a good stopping point it's hardly a complete story, it's obvious that sequels are in the works.
Anyhow, if a ghoulish magic system appeals, you might want to check this one out.
So the other night I finished up No Return by Zachary Jernigan. I had some pretty high hopes for this book and while the book didn't quite meet those hopes, it was a pretty decent piece of writing.
The book falls into a category I call "science-fantasy", where there's magic and stuff, but it's applied like a science or technical discipline. Thus, there are mages who fly into space and they have spells to protect them from the vacuum of space. Magic is scarce so no magic train lines or internet or whatnot, but people investigate magic and apply it intelligently. The other thing to know about magic is that it's alchemical in nature and the base ingredient are dead elves. Really, they're called "Elder" and their well-preserved corpses are deep underground. They get mined up out of the earth and then reduced to pieces parts to power magical activity. Bone dust is a standard of currency by example.
Right, so the other major conceit is that there's a god Adrash and he's got a series of metal spheres orbiting the earth trying to decide if he's going to drop the hammer on humanity. Back on the ground people either believe Adrash is a benevolent god and we all need to try harder or that he's a complete dick who only respects defiance. Sectarian violence is controlled by allowing small, non-lethal combats to take place at specified times and places. Right now, a major contest is coming up drawing combatants from all over the world. On their way to the fight (or the series of fights following after the religious games) we have:
- Vedas -- A Black Suit. That means he thinks Adrash is a dick and he wears a magical suit made from elder skin. A solid fighter who hates to see his soldiers die.
- Churls -- A professional fighter who competes for money not theology. She's also got a drinking problem, huge gambling debts, and a daughter who's a ghost.
- Berun -- A construct made up of brass spheres. He's the creation of the wizard Ortur Omali who created him to assassinate a political leader and now haunts his dreams.
The three of them make their way towards the tournament and in the process learn a lot about each other and themselves. Meanwhile, an team of Elderman (Human/Elder crossbreeds) are attempting to contact Adrash but there are conflicting motives.
Like I say, it's a pretty good book. I think I was hoping for something a little more Vancian, although the setup is intriguing and fairly original. The other minus point is that the book is short and while it finds a good stopping point it's hardly a complete story, it's obvious that sequels are in the works.
Anyhow, if a ghoulish magic system appeals, you might want to check this one out.
