Ashley Capes

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

As I remarked in one of my previous posts for this series, the main character’s name, Never, seems to be closely linked to his destiny, that of never finding peace - both in his search for answers about the past and the uncanny abilities bestowed by his heritage, and in his life: the previous book ended with the threat posed by a god-like creature, the Burnished King, laying waste to the land in his quest for domination, and Throne of Leaves starts by showing the readers how the Stone Plague is devastating both people and the territories it encroaches on.

In his afterword, author Ashley Capes remarks about the oddity of such a narrative choice: while the previous installment in the series was completed in 2019, before the very real Covid pandemic hit, he describes here the made-up plague at the center of this story and considers the strangeness of the parallel between worrisome reality and equally disquieting fiction. Sometimes reality and fantasy have a strange way of coexisting…

Back to Never’s adventures, there is something of a change in the way he’s perceived now: while before his weird powers and his appearance were met with awe and suspicion in equal measure, his recent actions have gained him the well-deserved qualification of “hero”, and if the awe is still present, he’s often welcomed and his help both sought after and appreciated. It’s interesting to observe how he’s not totally comfortable with that, but at the same time he’s more inclined to open himself to friendships and to accept the fact that he’s not bound to be a loner, that he can find people to share his path - and its dangers - with.

This is particularly true in Throne of Leaves because Never’s ally Rikeva - a sort of warrior priestess gifted with abilities of her own - seems to be more than just a passing companion and possesses all the qualities to become a permanent comrade, or even something more. While I’m always wary of emotional entanglements in the stories I read, I quite enjoyed the very slow burn of what might turn into a romantic liaison, and this might also prove to be a positive turn for a loner like Never. Moreover, Rikeva is a great character: strong, determined, courageous, but also compassionate and gifted with a delightful sense of humor which might very well compensate for Never’s deep seriousness.

Story-wise, Throne of Leaves continues in the series’ tradition of leading Never through a quest where he needs to unlock mysteries and face various dangers: once again I’m reminded of strategy computer games (even though I’m no gamer at all) where the players must complete increasingly difficult levels before reaching the goal. Here Never does so by also revisiting previous locations where other adventures took place and - more important - reconnecting with old acquaintances and friends he met along the way. This proved to be one of my favorite sections of the book because I enjoyed the appearance of some familiar faces, and also because it was nice to see Never appreciate the reunion:

[…] halfway through the meal he’d found himself wishing time would pass slower.

A moment of peace and joy that, together with the reminders of past adventures, made me think Never’s journey might be nearing a closing circle - but of course it was a totally wrong impression because the very last sentence of the book hints at an even greater danger looming over the horizon. Something that will certainly be explored in the continuation of this series…… (mais)

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been some time since I read Never’s last adventure and it took me a little while to find my bearings again in this story fashioned in equal parts out of a series of adventures, in a world where magic takes strange and weird forms, and of the main character’s quest to learn about his past and the heritage from his now- extinct and legendary forefathers. Once I did, though, the narrative flew quickly, carried by a very appealing premise.

In Spectre our hero is not facing the “simple” turmoil of warring factions bent on controlling territory, as it happened in past adventures, but rather the dire menace of a cult bent on the horrifying transformation of hapless victims – think Island of Doctor Moreau and you will have an idea of what I’m talking about. And this time the stakes are quite high, because he needs to save a young boy from the cult’s clutches and to prevent and old… well, frenemy is the best term that comes to mind, from succumbing to the vile alteration.

As usual Never is able to find valid allies in his endeavors, and this time the person who shares this portion of his journey is an intriguing one, the unassuming priest Lakiva: not unlike a warrior monk, the young man carries on with self-effacing modesty, only to exhibit amazing abilities when necessity arises. This combination quickly endeared him to me and often brought a smile to my face.

That smile was more than necessary, because Spectre is one of the darkest adventures Never faced until now, rife with a sense of impending doom and a relentlessly ticking clock, culminating in a harrowing confrontation that blends a heated battle with an authentic descent into Hell that kept me on the edge of my seat, especially because in this case even our hero’s remarkable powers and stamina seemed to be inadequate to the task at hand.

And of course it does not end here, because a new threat looms on the horizon at the end of the novella, promising more intriguing adventures…… (mais)

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

A thoroughly enjoyable book, the kind that grabs your attention from page one and never lets go: the author has a great sense of pacing and rhythm, and his cunning switches in point of view between the main three characters, effected in moments of maximum tension, have the added benefit of keeping the readers going on at a fast clip while they wonder how these intermediate cliffhangers are going to be resolved.

The world is a fascinating one: while it possesses many of the "classical" characteristics of a fantasy background, it also sports several interesting details that are purposely not completely explained, leaving the readers wondering about the past events that shaped this world. To me, this is a positive feature: I don't like to be "spoon fed" with a lot of footnotes and, still more important, those hints about the past are quite fascinating because of their indeterminate nature, and the chance for speculation that they offer. It's possible that some of those mysteries will be explained in the following books, but for now it's been fun to wonder about them...

The city of Anaskar, the principal location of the book, is in itself a player in the story: a multi-tiered seafront city whose structure is arranged by social standing. The city is rife with political intrigue and shady dealings, and its twisting alleys and cobbled streets - described in a vivid manner - are the perfect background for the novel.

As I said, there are three main points of view: the first we encounter is mercenary Notch, a man with a troubled past that we discover bit by bit in the course of the book. In the very first chapter he's in a cell waiting to be executed for a heinous murder he did not commit: it's clear from the start that this is a person who has lost a great deal, and yet manages to find some cause to carry him forward, to overcome the sadness and rage of loss in favor of something higher. His character is highlighted mostly by the interaction with his comrade Flir, a small, unprepossessing woman gifted with extraordinary strength and a wry sense of humor: the exchanges between the two, the glimpses about their shared past, are among my favorite sections of the story.

Then there is Sofia Falco: a young woman thrown by circumstances into an unexpected role, one she has no preparation for, one that will require her to go against preconceived social notions and the intricacies of court politics. Through Sofia we learn about one of those interesting details I mentioned above: the rule of the land is partly based on the interaction with the titular masks, that are carved from bone and worn by specially trained people who are able to come into contact with the mask's own... spirit, for want of a better word. The death of her older brother forces Sofia to take on the role of Protector and interact with the old mask Argeon: from what I could gather it's a sort of symbiotic relationship that allows the Protector to tap knowledge from the past and thus offer solid advice.

And last is Pathfinder Ain: he belongs to the Medah, desert dwellers that once inhabited Anaskar and were driven away to live in the wilderness after a bloody war. The role of Pathfinders is to find access to the city and fulfill the ancient prophecy of vanquishing the old foes and regaining what was lost: Ain's journey requires him to rely on old scrolls that seem based more on legend than fact, and on his skills as Pathfinder - a very fascinating notion about being able to feel the pathways of previous travelers on the very ground they trod on. The Medah culture is an intriguing one, and I found myself quite drawn by its descriptions: hopefully more will be explained about them in the following books, especially in consideration of some tantalizing detail that seems to hint (unless I read it the wrong way...) to a more technologically advanced past.

I'd like to spend a few more words on Sofia Falco: when I was contacted by the author about reading and reviewing his book, he asked about the "warning" on YA themes and characters contained in my submission guidelines, since Sofia is indeed a teenager and he was concerned that this might color my opinion. Let me say up front that there was no reason for concern: when I admit I don't enjoy YA-themed stories, I mean that I prefer when this kind of character is explored in an adult way. For example, Harry Potter is a young boy whose life story is handled in an adult way; Paul Atreides from "Dune" is a teenager painted in an adult way. In other words, these characters act and are described without recurring to forced angst and constant whiny complaint about the unfairness of it all, as so many of them unfortunately are in recent YA literature.

Sofia Falco avoids this danger completely: she is young, yes, and inexperienced; when she is pushed into a role she's not prepared for, both practically and mentally, her world falls out of kilter, and she struggles for the greater part of the book with situations that are too big for her, often forcing her to be a pawn rather than a player in the unfolding events. She's no spunky heroine who manages to overcome huge obstacles overnight, on the contrary she learns painfully how to adapt and to deal with frustration and powerlessness: only through struggle and terrible loss does she come into her own, gaining the maturity (and hardness) needed to fulfill the role she must undertake. This kind of journey is not just totally believable, it also turns her into a fully-rounded character I can empathize with and root for.

In short, a well-crafted first novel and a great start to what looks like a promising series. Highly recommended.



http://spaceandsorcery.wordpress.com/2014/10/11/city-of-masks-ashley-capes/… (mais)

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

A new book, or novella as is the case here, from Ashley Capes is always a treat, so when he asked me to read and review his latest work, Crossings, I of course jumped at the opportunity: the core idea was as intriguing as the cover, portraying a kangaroo painted in flames - a sure indication that the author had based this story in his native Australia.

Lisa Thomas, the main character, is a woman leading a complicated life: she works at several jobs to make ends meet, also volunteering with a sort of ranger service taking care of wildlife. It’s in this activity that she first comes into contact with a series of uncanny events that will shape her immediate future and change her life: someone is killing wild animals, and in some cases leaving their dead bodies – or parts of them – on her doorstep.

As if this were not enough, Lisa’s abusive ex boyfriend is back in town with every intention of resuming the relationship, while her father’s health takes a downward plunge, with every indication he might suffer from Alzheimer. In the meantime there are sightings of an improbably huge white kangaroo that behaves quite strangely – that is, if one can accept the existence of such a creature – and a few shocking murders shake the peaceful community…

As in his other two shorter works I read, The Fairy Wren and A Whisper of Leaves, the author blends details of quite ordinary, everyday life with a touch of weirdness that here is a bit more marked than usual: the background itself does possess some sort of “alien” quality, given the great differences in flora and fauna one can observe in Australia, making it the perfect setting for an otherworldly tale, but the real mystery lies with the never-fully-explained circumstance surrounding the strange apparitions that seem to target Lisa Thomas.

I’m wary about revealing more, because it would mean spoiling the surprises in the story, but I liked how in the end there remained more unanswered questions than what we started with at the beginning: the beauty of a mystery, or a puzzle, lies in my opinion in the uncertainty they engender, not in a full revelation of what lies behind them. Crossings works quite well as a stand-alone novella, of course, but at the same time it contains enough core material for a regular novel, because of those unexplained details that seem to hint at a far broader picture.

There is also a strong sense of kinship running throughout the story, of a small community that tries to be supportive of its individual members and that comes together in a wonderful way when danger threatens it: this was one of the novella’s most appealing themes, together with the more melancholic thread about old age and failing senses portrayed through Lisa’s father. It’s a subject explored with a light hand and a great deal of compassion and respect, never once sliding into easy pity or unnecessary angst.

On the other hand, I encountered some difficulties in relating to the main character, Lisa: at first her troubles created instant sympathy, especially when the subject of her violent ex boyfriend came up, since Ben is a complete, irredeemable jerk, and it’s quite easy to loathe him and side with Lisa. But as the mystery became more complex and she started to obsess over the strange sightings to the point of shunting everything to the sidelines, even her pressing personal problems, my empathy took a downward plunge. In the end, it was this ambivalence that made things even more interesting, because a more straightforwardly likable character would also have been more predictable.

In short, this story a fascinating mix, one that will keep you reading on and make you wonder at what really lies behind it all – be ready to fall into its enchantment…


Review published on SPACE and SORCERY Blog
… (mais)