1. The Journey

2. The Review

The Journey

There are now 10 finalists for the 7th Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off. The list can be viewed here.

So I went to Random.org and generated a sequence: 5, 9, 4, 10, 2, 7, 8, 6, 3, 1.

5: We Men of Ash and Shadow (The Vanguard Chronicles Book 1) by HL Tinsley

‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ is the first book in the Vanguard Series and follows the journey of protagonist, John Vanguard, through the dark and corrupt city of D’Orsee. A Grimdark gas lamp novel, ‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ explores themes of redemption, loyalty, and betrayal against the backdrop of a world where survival often means compromising your values.

Amidst the gas lamp shadows former soldier-turned-mercenary John Vanguard hunts criminals at the behest of his corrupt employer, Captain Felix Sanquain. Shamed by his deserter past and seeking to make amends for his many misdeeds, a chance encounter with Tarryn Leersac – a skilled young would-be-assassin fallen from the graces of high society – leads Vanguard to become an unlikely mentor.

Charged with hunting down the killer of two guards left washed up on the banks of the canal, the further Vanguard delves into the underbelly of the city the more he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets and lies. A prominent aristocrat is missing. Crime lords, con men and harlots run amok and the city teeters on the brink of another revolution.

With his already precarious reputation hanging by a thread, Vanguard must piece together how and why the last war came to pass, find a way to earn redemption for his mistakes and come to terms with the past in a city where few survive, and even fewer can be trusted.

I was confused by the last paragraph of the description. What ‘last war’? There was no reference to a war before that so I have no idea what the ‘last war’ is or why it would be so important.

Anyway, I read about three chapters in the preview and stopped because they all started with an infodump.

9: Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion Book 1) by Krystle Matar

Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong? Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack. Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions. Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her? Why was he the only one who cared? Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for?

The first chapter in the preview was very good, written in a style that makes it easy to relate to the character, but I read another since I have been burnt by good first chapters before. The second chapter was just as good, so I decided to buy it.

The Review

Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion Book 1) by Krystle Matar

Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion Book 1)

When I read the description and the first two chapters in the preview, I thought I was settling in for a murder mystery. I read up till the 56% mark and gave up. There was very little progress on the murder mystery and the book instead spent most of its time on romance and politicking. In fact, Tashué, the protagonist, doesn’t seem to actively investigate the murder and instead seems to progress mostly by having random people give him the information.

Meanwhile, the romance is readable but it also moves too slowly since half the time is spent politicking instead. And Tashué doesn’t think much of politics so it reads like a slog.

DNF