Synopsis

The chronological short stories of Esterra Stake. Tractwalker. Mercenary. Exile.

When the stars fell, the world died.

Magic claimed Esterra’s arm when she was a child. For her curse, she was exiled into the weird, pockmarked world of Verpace. The magic eats away at her, twisting her bones and psyche to its own will, the curse spreading with each use.

Now an adult, she wanders the world as a tractwalker, making her living through hunting, mercenary work, and whatever opportunities arise. It is a dangerous life. Deranged cultists cry out to the red-dwarf sun, deformed beasts prowl in every shadow, creatures born from myth lurk in broken temples, and every night brings the threat of the lethal lichtvallen.

Yet some greater danger lurks on the horizon, and there are whispers in the dark. Will Esterra survive, or will she succumb to the incessant call of the magic?

The first volume of stories in Scars of Magic, a post apocalyptic sword-and-sorcery series overflowing with horror, mystery, magic and action.

Quick Review

The post-apocalyptic world of Verpace is easy to get lost in and a joy to explore all of its dark corners. Blade of the Wanderer nails its strong adventurous main character and instills a sense of curiosity about what we might see over every hill.

Full Review

Thanks to Steven Raaymakers for providing me with a digital advanced reader copy of Blade of the Wanderer.

If you’re like me and enjoy a book with great worldbuilding, you’re in for a treat. Verpace, the post-apocalyptic fantasy setting of Blade of the Wanderer, is undeniably the star of this book. It is broken up into several tracts, pieces of the world walled off from one another, each with their own unique climate, culture, and challenges. They range from a forest full of bones to frozen ruins to a kingdom that is perpetually at risk of being overthrown. Each tract is unique and interesting; and each hints at more beneath the surface. The way our main character moves through each one makes clear both her survival skills and the fact she’s still discovering the world too—which could include anything from strange ghostly figures to fireflies over the water.

Esterra Stake is a tractwalker, or one who travels between these tracts. To do so is dangerous, both due to the many dangers in each tract and the tumultuous hollows that connect them together. She’s a utilitarian survivalist, constantly looking over the next hill, for better or worse.

A defining feature of Esterra’s story is her right arm, which is lichtridden, infected by a magical force. The licht manifests in many ways both in people and the world, but suffice it to say that it makes Esterra powerful—at a cost. Seeing her pay that price and work around the scarred arm, overcoming obstacles both because of and despite it, was always a highlight.

As much as Esterra is a strong, interesting character, I also believe that she may disappoint some readers. Esterra is most interesting—in my personal opinion—when she is with somebody; a friend or fellow traveler. We meet a few people like that, but within one or two stories, they’ve parted ways again. There were two times in the Blade of the Wanderer when I was excited to see Esterra continue traveling with these new companions, and each time I was left somewhat disappointed when that didn’t happen.

It’s for this reason that the ending didn’t particularly work for me. Raaymakers ties together prior stories and delivers a strong message, but all of that comes from Esterra’s interactions with a brand-new character introduced in that same story. I simply didn’t have time to form a strong connection to them.

Not everything landed as I hoped in Blade of the Wanderer, but I truly loved discovering the setting along with Esterra. Verpace is a rich and varied place, with seemingly infinite possibilities. At times, Raaymakers delved into the abstract, even, without becoming too hard to follow—and that’s a hard needle to thread.

I recommend Blade of the Wanderer. Raaymakers’ Scars of Magic series has a promising start with a strong main character and a living world that’s easy to get lost in. There’s a wanderlust and sense of determination and adventure here that is perfect for the world of Verpace. And if you need an extra push, the book comes with several illustrations by Reffelia and Daniel Hapi; as well as other worldbuilding details and a map illustrated by the author.