Showing posts with label sam sykes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sam sykes. Show all posts

Tuesday, 4 November 2014

The City Stained Red - Sam Sykes

Long before he was sent to hell, the Aeon known as Khoth-Kapira was the closest thing to a living god the world had ever known. Possessed of a vast intellect, he pioneered many of the wonders that persist in the world that lingered long after he was banished. Nearly every fragment of medical, economic and technological progress that the mortal races enjoyed could be traced back to him. But with his wonders came cruelty beyond measure: industrialized slavery, horrifying experimentations and a rage that would eventually force the world to bow to him.

Now, as Khoth-Kapira stirs the world begins to shudder with disasters yet to come.The epicenter is the city of Cier'Djaal. A religious war between two unstoppable military juggernauts begins to brew. The racial fury among many peoples of the world is about to explode. Demons begin to pour from the shadows at the head of a vicious cult worshipping dark powers.

And Lenk finds himself in the middle once more, his fate and the fate of Khoth-Kapira interlinked as the demon attempts to convince him of his earnestness.

"Your world is breaking around you," He Who Makes says, "let me fix it. Let me help you. Let me out." 

My thoughts:
I do like a messed up city, you know, the kind of city where you would never want to live, heck you would not even want to visit. But itt makes for a good story and a good setting.

In this city things are brewing. It has grown fat on it's on people. Some are rich, some have nothing. Spiders roam everywhere because they are the source of money. There are soldiers from many places, and tensions run high. No one wants to ignite it, but everyone wants the be the ones left standing. And if that wasn't enough a "God", well demon, is trying to come back and take power. His followers are tearing things apart. Like I said, it's not the place to be right now. 

This book follows the same group from an earlier trilogy. Since I ever only read book 1 from that one and that was ages ago, I can say that it works like this. Though it could always have had a bit more presentation. But it works.

The book changes between a few POVS. Lenk, our hero, ok I am kidding, he is not a hero. He is a killer. Kataria who comes from a race who hunts humans for fun. Oh I liked her, she struggles with her place in the world in this book. Denaos who has been to the before (now that would be quite the book), Asper a healer who is the sane and nice one, but who has a secret. Plus a wizard and a dragonman. They are all on their own adventures and agendas. The city seems to throw them all into different directions. Like it wants them to separate.

The book is about, them all going and doing their own stuff (too much to tell here, secrets hello.) The city crumbling around them and them trying to stay alive, while killing a few. And trying to find the man who led them here so they can get paid. Adventure, secrets and death is what the story has to offer.

Conclusion:
I do wonder where the story will go, at the end I had doubts. Maybe the city really should fall. It was not a good city. It also had me wondering about other things, thrilling.

Cover
Simple, I like it

Paperback, 400 pages
Published October 28th 2014 by Gollancz
Bring Down Heaven #1
Fantasy
for review

Tuesday, 3 May 2011

Review: Tome of the Undergates - Sam Sykes

Series: The Aeon's gate 1
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 704
Published: April 11th 2011 Gollancz

Lenk can barely keep control of his mismatched adventurer band at the best of times (Gariath the dragon man sees humans as little more than prey, Kataria the Shict despises most humans, and the humans in the band are little better). When they’re not insulting each other’s religions they’re arguing about pay and conditions.

So when the ship they are travelling on is attacked by pirates things don’t go very well. They go a whole lot worse when an invincible demon joins the fray. The demon steals the Tome of the Undergates – a manuscript that contains all you need to open the undergates. And whichever god you believe in you don’t want the undergates open. On the other side are countless more invincible demons, the manifestation of all the evil of the gods, and they want out. 

My thoughts:
This was one big book of fights, I will tell you that at once. What a gang, I honestly thought they would kill someone in their own group, but it was also very amusing to read.  I am taking a step back to explain.

Lenk is the leader, a young man with a sword and a voice in his head. What is going on? Is he loosing it? He started to really intrigue me after a while and when it ended I did want more of him. Other interesting characters include; Kataria, a warrior woman who hates humans and calls them monkeys. There is also some tension between her and Lenk, either they will kill each other or get it on. And I sure hope it will be the latter. Another one of the adventures (they are even worse thought of than mercenaries, so bad people here), is Gariath, a dragon man who can crush a man's skull with his foot. There is also a wizard, a skulking rogue and woman named Asper who is a healer and who follows them to learn to use her craft. There you have, a mismatched crew who only wants money, while some wants money and to kill. But they are so strange that you have to like them.

The whole book starts with an almost 200 pages long battle, yes I am not joking. I do confess that it was hard at times to get into the book because of this long battle, but there was always something there making me continue. And the more I read the more I got into this book. Because he always manages to surprise me, there are frogmen, purple women, and screaming mermaids. Always something interesting.

As for the story it's about the hunt for the tome that has been stolen. This book can open a gate and demons will get out and tear the world asunder. They must get it back and while doing it they will meet a lot of dangers, a lot of fights, creepy demons, and a lot of great tension since they all get so angry. And that is a good thing.

Conclusion:
Interesting fantasy that is not afraid to try something strange. It will surprise you and make you wonder. And at the end you will want more if you are as curious as I am. It might not end with a total cliffhanger, but the world is by no means saved.

Rating:
Interesting

Cover:
Well it fits the story.


from the publisher




Come visit me :D I am a guest reviewer over at Alternative Read today and I am reviewing Raven's Quest by Anya Bast 

 

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