Synopsis
The Usharian Empire rules the Known World with an iron fist. Imperials protect their world from the tainted hand of the Deceiver, but he is back with an avatar capable of breaking the Empire and grounding humanity into ash.
JEHA is a sentinel of the Empire, willing to fight and die for kinship and duty.
AGOR is an imperial general. Disgruntled by the darkness he sees seeping into everything he loves, he makes his move.
MATALA is a young smokesmith who sees his courage tested as Ushar burns.
ALAMAKAR is the world’s most powerful man, but even strong blood ties can hold him down and tear him apart.
As the Deceiver threatens the Usharian Empire’s heart, fiends walk the streets of the capital. Men and monsters clash in a battle fit for gods. And the smoke follows them.
Review
I received this novella to judge as an SFINCS finalist. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover a lot. I am part of team JamReads, and I am just posting my review here to boost the author!
To me, this hit very similarly to Ryan Cahill’s The Fall. From the jump there is tension, action, emotion. The author sets up a battle that is already not going well, therefore the reader knows the stakes are high, and that there’s bound to be a near bottomless fall. There are multiple POVs and the author manages to make the reader care individually for all of them in the very short time you spend with each.
The Essence and the Deceiver are locked in an endless battle. Their chosen avatars destined to duke it out for eternity. This selection, and the transference of powers felt very similar to Marvel’s Moon Knight to me. They are imbued with power, can speak to their masters, become ageless, and live to serve. Too bad they also happen to be brothers.
In just 100 pages, the author makes you care for the characters, the world, the crumbling city, and feel each loss as they pile high. It’s well written, fast paced, and certainly an enticing sampler of what’s to come in the series itself. I’m intrigued by his different demonic creatures, as well as the different fighters the king has at his beck and call. Particularly the battle sisters and Smoke Riders.
Please check this one out!
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