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Kultus
A steam-powered burlesque of brutal demonic action!
Thaddeus Blaklok – mercenary, demonist, bastard and thug-for-hire – is pressed into retrieving a mysterious key for his clandestine benefactors. Little does he know that other parties seek to secure this artefact for their own nefarious ends and soon he is pursued by brutal cultists, bloodthirsty gangsters, deadly mercenaries and hell spawned monsters, all bent on stopping him by any means necessary.
In a lightning paced quest that takes him across the length and breadth of the steam-fuelled city of Manufactory, Blaklok must use his wits and his own demonic powers to keep the key from those who would use it for ill, and open the gates to Hell itself.
Thaddeus Blaklok – mercenary, demonist, bastard and thug-for-hire – is pressed into retrieving a mysterious key for his clandestine benefactors. Little does he know that other parties seek to secure this artefact for their own nefarious ends and soon he is pursued by brutal cultists, bloodthirsty gangsters, deadly mercenaries and hell spawned monsters, all bent on stopping him by any means necessary.
In a lightning paced quest that takes him across the length and breadth of the steam-fuelled city of Manufactory, Blaklok must use his wits and his own demonic powers to keep the key from those who would use it for ill, and open the gates to Hell itself.
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 25, 2011
4 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Richard S. Ford
23 books440 followersR S Ford originally hails from Leeds in the heartland of Yorkshire. He is a writer of fantasy and historical fiction (check out Richard Cullen on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...)
You can find out more about what he's up to, and download free stuff, here:
http://wordhog.co.uk
And follow him on Twitter here: @rich4ord
And Instagram here: thewordhog
You can find out more about what he's up to, and download free stuff, here:
http://wordhog.co.uk
And follow him on Twitter here: @rich4ord
And Instagram here: thewordhog
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 17 reviews
February 8, 2012
“It’s not Game Of Thrones” were the words uttered to me as I received my copy of ‘Kultus’ by Richard Ford. Now, it turns out that this was a true statement – however, hopefully, I think a better way to discuss this book would be to tell you what it is rather than what it is not – because damned you are in for one hell of a ride once you pick it up!
“A steam-powered burlesque of brutal demonic action!” as it states on the cover is pretty much a good introduction to what you can expect, but personally I believe to fully understand what waits for you beyond the cover (which is beautiful by the way) you need to know who ‘Thaddeus Blaklok’ is. In short he is the kind of guy you don’t want to mess with. He is incredibly intelligent and has demonic powers that give a human about as much chance in a fight with him as if that human were to take on a lion with a steak tied round their neck… His powers come from the tears and tattoos on his skin that form symbols and designs. We don’t actually find out much about Thaddeus’s past, although there are a number of hints along the way that whatever it was he done, it landed him in hell and how he got back is a bit of a mystery.
So, now you know a little about Thaddeus you have probably assumed that he doesn’t work as a cop or a doctor or any other respectable profession. Good on you! He doesn’t. He is your typical mercenary / thug-for-hire and the people who hire him tend to be up to no good. Certainly, this time round, when he is asked to steal a ‘key’ from a display in his Steam-Punk city you know the demon asking him to retrieve it doesn’t have good intentions in mind. However, Thaddeus isn’t the kind of man who sets about asking questions before taking a job… if you are paying, he’s playing.
So, Thaddeus heads off the location the key is displayed and begins plotting how on Earth he is going to steal it. Obviously the owner of this key has placed a pretty high value on it and it is therefore well protected… Not only that, whilst in the facility scoping out his intended treasure he spots a number of other questionable characters who also seem to be after the key. Before Thaddeus can move the key is stolen and rather than a simple museum type theft he realises that he is going to have to compete against the multitude of cults, demons and even legal agencies who want to steal this key for their own demonic or righteous purposes.
The story moves at a mile a minute… faster perhaps. I think the only negative reviews I’ve read on this book complain about this point. Richard Ford is very, very light on description and world building. Now, go back to my first sentence: “It’s not Game Of Thrones”. I think, as long as you pick us this book and realise this isn’t a ‘fantasy’ novel as such, it is a Steam Punk novel you will be pleasantly surprised by what the book offers. The chapters are very, very short – essentially, each chapter of around 10-20 pages (the book is about 280 in total) offers a complete section of the story. It might be a fight, it may be the passing of the key to another party, and it may be a bit of investigative work or even a stab in the back by a traitor. The thing is each chapter feels very fresh and offers you something that the one before it didn’t. As a reader this had me tearing through the book and I wouldn’t be surprised if (like me) a lot of readers finish this in a couple of or even a single sitting.
As I said there isn’t a great deal of World building, however, I’m going to actually note this as a strength as well as a weakness. Richard Ford is fairly safe because the cover describes the novels as ‘Steam Punk’ therefore, readers instantly know the kind of World Thaddeus lives in – much like when someone tells you ‘x’ is an Arthurian Fantasy. As soon as someone tells you that the world the novel is set within is a steam-fuelled city you will hopefully start seeing airships, strange bronze guns and fairly well developed industrial estates. With steam-punk becoming so popular in recent years it is likely you’ve experienced these kinds of worlds explained in great detail and probably don’t need it doing again. The only point at which I’d worry would be if this was your first steam-punk novel – you may well end up a little disorientated then.
Could I compare this novel to another? Well, it isn’t far off ‘Retribution Falls’ in terms of pace and characters. I think the characters in ‘Retribution Falls’ are probably easier to connect to but the pace of ‘Kultus’ is far more relentless and there is far greater creativity here too. Whilst on the subject of demons I should say that they are very, very well done and Richard paints a very vivid picture – perhaps a little too vivid at a certain point (probably best you read the book to work that one out!).
I’d like to finish up this review by telling you of Richard Ford’s number one strength in ‘Kultus’. Richard Ford has a damned impressive voice. By voice, I mean the way the narration comes across. The novel is told in third person limited, i.e. you only know and see what the character the narrator is discussing sees and thinks at that point. However, it is told in a way that it feels that character is narrating their own thoughts and feelings at that time. This means that there is a ton of sarcasm and ‘Oh Shit!’ type moments that will have you laughing along and sneering with the character that is currently narrating for you. One of the best examples of Richard’s skill in this aspect is when he takes over the narration of a demon. The demons thoughts come across as very evil, very sadistic, animalistic even and it is surely difficult to pull this off…
So, if you are looking for a book and are willing to accept that “It’s not Game Of Thrones” I think you will thoroughly enjoy ‘Kultus’. It is relentless, it will have you laughing and beneath all that there is a damned enjoyable plot that will keep you hooked whilst it twists and turns to its destination.
“A steam-powered burlesque of brutal demonic action!” as it states on the cover is pretty much a good introduction to what you can expect, but personally I believe to fully understand what waits for you beyond the cover (which is beautiful by the way) you need to know who ‘Thaddeus Blaklok’ is. In short he is the kind of guy you don’t want to mess with. He is incredibly intelligent and has demonic powers that give a human about as much chance in a fight with him as if that human were to take on a lion with a steak tied round their neck… His powers come from the tears and tattoos on his skin that form symbols and designs. We don’t actually find out much about Thaddeus’s past, although there are a number of hints along the way that whatever it was he done, it landed him in hell and how he got back is a bit of a mystery.
So, now you know a little about Thaddeus you have probably assumed that he doesn’t work as a cop or a doctor or any other respectable profession. Good on you! He doesn’t. He is your typical mercenary / thug-for-hire and the people who hire him tend to be up to no good. Certainly, this time round, when he is asked to steal a ‘key’ from a display in his Steam-Punk city you know the demon asking him to retrieve it doesn’t have good intentions in mind. However, Thaddeus isn’t the kind of man who sets about asking questions before taking a job… if you are paying, he’s playing.
So, Thaddeus heads off the location the key is displayed and begins plotting how on Earth he is going to steal it. Obviously the owner of this key has placed a pretty high value on it and it is therefore well protected… Not only that, whilst in the facility scoping out his intended treasure he spots a number of other questionable characters who also seem to be after the key. Before Thaddeus can move the key is stolen and rather than a simple museum type theft he realises that he is going to have to compete against the multitude of cults, demons and even legal agencies who want to steal this key for their own demonic or righteous purposes.
The story moves at a mile a minute… faster perhaps. I think the only negative reviews I’ve read on this book complain about this point. Richard Ford is very, very light on description and world building. Now, go back to my first sentence: “It’s not Game Of Thrones”. I think, as long as you pick us this book and realise this isn’t a ‘fantasy’ novel as such, it is a Steam Punk novel you will be pleasantly surprised by what the book offers. The chapters are very, very short – essentially, each chapter of around 10-20 pages (the book is about 280 in total) offers a complete section of the story. It might be a fight, it may be the passing of the key to another party, and it may be a bit of investigative work or even a stab in the back by a traitor. The thing is each chapter feels very fresh and offers you something that the one before it didn’t. As a reader this had me tearing through the book and I wouldn’t be surprised if (like me) a lot of readers finish this in a couple of or even a single sitting.
As I said there isn’t a great deal of World building, however, I’m going to actually note this as a strength as well as a weakness. Richard Ford is fairly safe because the cover describes the novels as ‘Steam Punk’ therefore, readers instantly know the kind of World Thaddeus lives in – much like when someone tells you ‘x’ is an Arthurian Fantasy. As soon as someone tells you that the world the novel is set within is a steam-fuelled city you will hopefully start seeing airships, strange bronze guns and fairly well developed industrial estates. With steam-punk becoming so popular in recent years it is likely you’ve experienced these kinds of worlds explained in great detail and probably don’t need it doing again. The only point at which I’d worry would be if this was your first steam-punk novel – you may well end up a little disorientated then.
Could I compare this novel to another? Well, it isn’t far off ‘Retribution Falls’ in terms of pace and characters. I think the characters in ‘Retribution Falls’ are probably easier to connect to but the pace of ‘Kultus’ is far more relentless and there is far greater creativity here too. Whilst on the subject of demons I should say that they are very, very well done and Richard paints a very vivid picture – perhaps a little too vivid at a certain point (probably best you read the book to work that one out!).
I’d like to finish up this review by telling you of Richard Ford’s number one strength in ‘Kultus’. Richard Ford has a damned impressive voice. By voice, I mean the way the narration comes across. The novel is told in third person limited, i.e. you only know and see what the character the narrator is discussing sees and thinks at that point. However, it is told in a way that it feels that character is narrating their own thoughts and feelings at that time. This means that there is a ton of sarcasm and ‘Oh Shit!’ type moments that will have you laughing along and sneering with the character that is currently narrating for you. One of the best examples of Richard’s skill in this aspect is when he takes over the narration of a demon. The demons thoughts come across as very evil, very sadistic, animalistic even and it is surely difficult to pull this off…
So, if you are looking for a book and are willing to accept that “It’s not Game Of Thrones” I think you will thoroughly enjoy ‘Kultus’. It is relentless, it will have you laughing and beneath all that there is a damned enjoyable plot that will keep you hooked whilst it twists and turns to its destination.
November 23, 2011
STEAMPUNK!!! This is written almost cinematically, set in a grim very '2000ad' sort of setting Ford had managed to create possibly my favourite new anti-hero in Thaddeus Blaklok who quite literally couldn't give a damn. the plot is pretty transparent in all fairness but luckily Fords writing keeps a relentless pace from the first page to the last. Blaklok is relentless in his task and his demonic powers (aswell as those of others throughout the novel) are brilliant. This would very easily translate well into a graphic novel and it would be criminal if it didn't make it's way onto the screen too. If you want a complex, sophisticated read then this isn't the book for you, if, on the other hand you want a far fetched flat out shit kicker I can't recommend it enough.
February 26, 2012
This is the strain of "sociopathically brutal hero" SF/F that gives the entire genre a bad name. Thaddeus Blaklok is a thug with a heart of thug. That's his whole characterization. He beats people up, people beat him up. Later on, the beatings continue. It's basically a comic book -- not an *actual* comic book, but the stereotypical Bad Comic Book where the only tension is "will Batman win this fight?" (Answer: yes, and he also pulls a new superpower out of his shorts just for this issue.)
Also, the writing hits my personal trifecta of annoyances: dropped commas, "he was so much more than that", and palmed narrative. (That's where the narrator picks up something important but doesn't tell us what it is for three chapters.)
Also, the writing hits my personal trifecta of annoyances: dropped commas, "he was so much more than that", and palmed narrative. (That's where the narrator picks up something important but doesn't tell us what it is for three chapters.)
December 24, 2017
DNF - More than 70 pages in and all the characters are worthless. I don't care what the key really is, and I don't care about cultists killing an annoying, sniveling noble. I don't even care who or what the main character is, or was, as the case may be. Moving on.
October 31, 2011
Thaddeus Blaklok – mercenary, demonist, bastard and thug-for-hire – is pressed into retrieving a mysterious key for his clandestine benefactors. Little does he know that other parties seek to secure this artifact for their own nefarious ends and soon he is pursued by brutal cultists, bloodthirsty gangsters, deadly mercenaries and hell spawned monsters, all bent on stopping him by any means necessary.
In a lighting paced quest that takes him across the length and breadth of the steam-fuelled city of Manufactory, Blaklok must use his wits and his own demonic powers to keep the key from those who would use it for ill, and open the gates to Hell itself.
I remember hearing once somewhere, that Mos Eisley spaceport is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. After reading Kultus, I am convinced that Manufactory may come a close second. The inhabitants of this city, bar a few notable exceptions, are a resolutely nasty bunch. Everyone spends much of their time looking out for number one. Double crossing family, friends and business partners is standard practice.
Into this mix we are introduced to the force of nature that is Thaddeus Blaklok. He is best described as a ‘tattooed bulldog’ of a man and after reading the descriptions of the iron willed tenacity he exhibits this certainly seems appropriate. Put it this way, I certainly wouldn’t necessarily want to meet Blaklok in a dark alley; but you’d be sorted if you found him fighting in your corner.
After reading about fifty pages of the novel I found myself wondering – Is Thaddeus Blaklok the first proper Steampunk geezer? He reads like he is blueprint for the archetypal Steam Punk; all ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude, and unfettered aggression. He has a gruff, violent, no-nonsense approach to dealing with his problems. This tends to be both amusing and brutal in equal measure. I was easily won over by his laconic anti-heroesque bolshieness. Blaklok stomps around Manufactory one hundred percent focused on the task in hand. He will retrieve the Key of Lunos and he will return it to his bosses, and woe betide anyone who gets in his way.
The good news is that irrespective of how driven he is, Thaddeus doesn’t have an easy time of it. Where would be the fun in that? He faces many groups of adversaries who are just as determined as he is to gain the Key for themselves, There’s nothing more important than a magical maguffin after all. Whether it be the innumerable followers from the Cult of Legion, the local constabulary, or a group of mercenaries known as The Hounds – all are out to stop Blaklok and dispose of him in various unpleasant ways.
Richard Ford’s writing style displays a nice cinematic quality which lends itself well to the action scenes that make up big chunks of the story. It’s certainly easy to imagine the likes of Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel playing Blaklok in the movie version of the book. I was going to say any famous bald actor but I’ll be honest – I don’t think Patrick Stewart is muscular enough, and Ross Kemp is just plain annoying.
Whenever I hear a novel described as ‘steampunk’ I have a mental checklist that automatically kicks in. I won’t bore you with all the details, but near the top of this list is the requirement that the names of the characters involved are suitably evocative. I’m just not happy until I see oddly named individuals appearing in the text, strange but true. The good news is that Kultus delivers plenty of this – Castor Cage (is this a subtle reference to the John Woo classic Face Off?), Earl Beuphalus Westowe, Trol Snapper, Quickstep and Thaddeus Blaklok himself. You just know with outlandish monickers like this, things are going to be fun.
Kultus is just a shade less than three hundred pages long and the story rattles along at a reasonable pace. I could have lived with a few more pages, as I think it would have been nice to learn a bit more than a few hints of Blaklok’s colourful history. I’m always keen, and find it interesting, to discover more about the origins of a character.
The good news is the novel finishes with a nice little epilogue that acts as a perfect setup for further Thaddeus Blaklok adventures. Blaklok is a lot of fun and I would certainly welcome the opportunity to read more of his exploits. Here’s hoping that in the future, there will be chance to do so.
Kultus by Richard Ford is available on Tuesday 1st November 2011 and is published by Solaris.
In a lighting paced quest that takes him across the length and breadth of the steam-fuelled city of Manufactory, Blaklok must use his wits and his own demonic powers to keep the key from those who would use it for ill, and open the gates to Hell itself.
I remember hearing once somewhere, that Mos Eisley spaceport is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. After reading Kultus, I am convinced that Manufactory may come a close second. The inhabitants of this city, bar a few notable exceptions, are a resolutely nasty bunch. Everyone spends much of their time looking out for number one. Double crossing family, friends and business partners is standard practice.
Into this mix we are introduced to the force of nature that is Thaddeus Blaklok. He is best described as a ‘tattooed bulldog’ of a man and after reading the descriptions of the iron willed tenacity he exhibits this certainly seems appropriate. Put it this way, I certainly wouldn’t necessarily want to meet Blaklok in a dark alley; but you’d be sorted if you found him fighting in your corner.
After reading about fifty pages of the novel I found myself wondering – Is Thaddeus Blaklok the first proper Steampunk geezer? He reads like he is blueprint for the archetypal Steam Punk; all ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude, and unfettered aggression. He has a gruff, violent, no-nonsense approach to dealing with his problems. This tends to be both amusing and brutal in equal measure. I was easily won over by his laconic anti-heroesque bolshieness. Blaklok stomps around Manufactory one hundred percent focused on the task in hand. He will retrieve the Key of Lunos and he will return it to his bosses, and woe betide anyone who gets in his way.
The good news is that irrespective of how driven he is, Thaddeus doesn’t have an easy time of it. Where would be the fun in that? He faces many groups of adversaries who are just as determined as he is to gain the Key for themselves, There’s nothing more important than a magical maguffin after all. Whether it be the innumerable followers from the Cult of Legion, the local constabulary, or a group of mercenaries known as The Hounds – all are out to stop Blaklok and dispose of him in various unpleasant ways.
Richard Ford’s writing style displays a nice cinematic quality which lends itself well to the action scenes that make up big chunks of the story. It’s certainly easy to imagine the likes of Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel playing Blaklok in the movie version of the book. I was going to say any famous bald actor but I’ll be honest – I don’t think Patrick Stewart is muscular enough, and Ross Kemp is just plain annoying.
Whenever I hear a novel described as ‘steampunk’ I have a mental checklist that automatically kicks in. I won’t bore you with all the details, but near the top of this list is the requirement that the names of the characters involved are suitably evocative. I’m just not happy until I see oddly named individuals appearing in the text, strange but true. The good news is that Kultus delivers plenty of this – Castor Cage (is this a subtle reference to the John Woo classic Face Off?), Earl Beuphalus Westowe, Trol Snapper, Quickstep and Thaddeus Blaklok himself. You just know with outlandish monickers like this, things are going to be fun.
Kultus is just a shade less than three hundred pages long and the story rattles along at a reasonable pace. I could have lived with a few more pages, as I think it would have been nice to learn a bit more than a few hints of Blaklok’s colourful history. I’m always keen, and find it interesting, to discover more about the origins of a character.
The good news is the novel finishes with a nice little epilogue that acts as a perfect setup for further Thaddeus Blaklok adventures. Blaklok is a lot of fun and I would certainly welcome the opportunity to read more of his exploits. Here’s hoping that in the future, there will be chance to do so.
Kultus by Richard Ford is available on Tuesday 1st November 2011 and is published by Solaris.
February 6, 2012
Kultus is a prime example that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. When Kultus first came out back in November of last year, for some reason I assumed it was a zombie story from the cover and thought 'meh, I don't like zombies' and consequently didn't read the synopsis or any reviews I stumbled across. However, when the author approached me and asked whether I'd like to review the book, I actually read the synopsis and thought it sounded really interesting. So having learned my lesson about books and covers, I happily accepted his offer and I'm glad I did so.
I liked Kultus and its protagonist Thaddeus Blaklok. It's a tale that sweeps you along, with lots of action and violence. Thaddeus is a bad guy, with a bad past, though he seems to be on the path of reform. Still, when he gets drawn into a case that requires him to go back to his old ways, he does so with gusto. The violence in the book didn't bother me, it wasn't worse than you see every night on TV or in the news. What did bother me was the language used in the book. Thaddeus and his opposition are hard men and as such use foul language. Normally I have no problem with salted language, but in this case it felt extreme enough to jar me from the narrative. I don't know why the language affected me thus, whether it's related to being pregnant and hormonal or whether I would have minded it as much normally. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it's the latter as there were some swear words used, such as the c-word, that I really have a hard time with at any time.
Blaklok is an interesting character; he's relentless, can take heaps of damage and do some pretty extensive damage as well. However, he seems to be more than just a hard man and a career criminal, he truly seems to not want to hurt the innocent and to protect them from the dangers of demonist cultists and the horrors they might unleash. There are also hints of a mysterious past that I hope we get to see more of in further books. The secondary characters are all bastards, plain and simple, with one exception—Amelia. There are very few likeable characters in the book; Amelia is the only one that I actually liked. She's an Indagator (Ford's equivalent of a D.I.) and while she's rather rigid, I did like her sense of honour and justice. Besides that, she kicks ass and though she disapproves of Blaklok's methods, she knows when it's best to shut up and let him get on with it. A practicality I approved of and which she displays to good effect in several other situations.
The world building was a little uneven, in my opinion; while some places are realised in exquisite detail, such as the Repository of Unnatural History and the Cistern, other parts of the Manufactory are rather nebulous. We get the names of the different quarters, and the type of people that live there, but not much else. The world building is more atmospheric than a clear description of our surroundings. Since I haven't read much steampunk – I think Philippa Ballantine's Geist comes the closest – the book had me wondering whether it was steampunk or not. There is mention of airships and automatons, but no Victorian (or similar era) setting, so it doesn't seem to be really steampunky in intent in my opinion. Still, the steampunk elements Ford utilises are not just window dressing. They're fun and have a function in the story.
Kultus is a good story, but definitely for more mature audiences and those not easily offended. If you're looking for a raging adventure, full of action and a unique setting, Kultus will definitely be a book you want to try. Despite my reservations, I enjoyed myself a lot, especially in the second half of the book, when things speed up to non-stop action. If there are any further Blaklok novels I'll be there to check them out.
This book was provided for review by the author.
I liked Kultus and its protagonist Thaddeus Blaklok. It's a tale that sweeps you along, with lots of action and violence. Thaddeus is a bad guy, with a bad past, though he seems to be on the path of reform. Still, when he gets drawn into a case that requires him to go back to his old ways, he does so with gusto. The violence in the book didn't bother me, it wasn't worse than you see every night on TV or in the news. What did bother me was the language used in the book. Thaddeus and his opposition are hard men and as such use foul language. Normally I have no problem with salted language, but in this case it felt extreme enough to jar me from the narrative. I don't know why the language affected me thus, whether it's related to being pregnant and hormonal or whether I would have minded it as much normally. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it's the latter as there were some swear words used, such as the c-word, that I really have a hard time with at any time.
Blaklok is an interesting character; he's relentless, can take heaps of damage and do some pretty extensive damage as well. However, he seems to be more than just a hard man and a career criminal, he truly seems to not want to hurt the innocent and to protect them from the dangers of demonist cultists and the horrors they might unleash. There are also hints of a mysterious past that I hope we get to see more of in further books. The secondary characters are all bastards, plain and simple, with one exception—Amelia. There are very few likeable characters in the book; Amelia is the only one that I actually liked. She's an Indagator (Ford's equivalent of a D.I.) and while she's rather rigid, I did like her sense of honour and justice. Besides that, she kicks ass and though she disapproves of Blaklok's methods, she knows when it's best to shut up and let him get on with it. A practicality I approved of and which she displays to good effect in several other situations.
The world building was a little uneven, in my opinion; while some places are realised in exquisite detail, such as the Repository of Unnatural History and the Cistern, other parts of the Manufactory are rather nebulous. We get the names of the different quarters, and the type of people that live there, but not much else. The world building is more atmospheric than a clear description of our surroundings. Since I haven't read much steampunk – I think Philippa Ballantine's Geist comes the closest – the book had me wondering whether it was steampunk or not. There is mention of airships and automatons, but no Victorian (or similar era) setting, so it doesn't seem to be really steampunky in intent in my opinion. Still, the steampunk elements Ford utilises are not just window dressing. They're fun and have a function in the story.
Kultus is a good story, but definitely for more mature audiences and those not easily offended. If you're looking for a raging adventure, full of action and a unique setting, Kultus will definitely be a book you want to try. Despite my reservations, I enjoyed myself a lot, especially in the second half of the book, when things speed up to non-stop action. If there are any further Blaklok novels I'll be there to check them out.
This book was provided for review by the author.
June 8, 2024
6.5 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Thaddeus Blaklok is a thug, plain and simple. Well, no, as he’s also a demonist, mercenary, and mad bastard. One thing he isn’t, at least, is retired. As of today.
Not when Thaddeus awakens in his apartment with a massive hangover, room swimming before his eyes, a glowing summoning circle below his feet. And one thing seared into his bonce—find the Key of Lunos, wee artifact that can open a hell gate.
So Thaddeus hits the streets of the Manufactory, chasing down lost contacts and visiting old haunts. He’s not exactly sure what will happen should he fail to acquire the Key, but he knows it can’t be good. Just judging by how many stupid bastards are after the bloody thing.
Thugs, judicators, nobles, demons—everyone wants to get their hands on the Key, and are more than willing to kill for the opportunity. And Thaddeus is right in the middle.
—
Maybe she did deserve her position after all, maybe she had been compelled to put in twice the work for half the reward, merely due to her sex and her pretty face.
Most likely that meant she had something to prove.
It would certainly explain the stick up her arse.
—
The writing of this may well be the biggest turn-off, as Thaddeus (and by extension the author) doesn’t mince words. He’s a bastard, and treats everyone like the shit they are—even if they don’t necessarily deserve it. Yes, there are some niche exceptions to this rule, but more than not, everyone’s a nob. And it’s all opportunity: men, women, demons, nobles, and everyone in-between. Thaddeus doesn’t discriminate.
Another possible turn-off will be the language. It’s high in British slang, coupled with big words not often seen across the pond. Now, I watch a fair amount of British panel shows and football, so I was mostly on board, but someone whose interests are less international will have a definite problem with this.
Since neither of these were deal-breakers for me, let’s move on.
The story… wasn’t great—I mean, the plot was pretty straightforward: here’s a thing, get it, followed by Blaklok being accosted by every demon-hungry prick in the city. For the most part, this keeps the pace rolling, as our “hero” (Thaddeus is an antihero if anything) is tossed from one crisis to the next. Enjoyable enough, but for the endless bag of tricks at Blaklok’s disposal. Every time he’s in deep, he just reaches in and pulls out something new, which (a) keeps the reader on their toes, and (b) is endemic of lazy writing—basically a “get out of jail free” card. Whenever you have an issue you can’t solve with the tools at hand—introduce something new!
Billed as “lightning paced”, it’s hard to argue. This one goes quick, especially considering it’s under 300 pages. That said, it took me over a week to read, just because it’s, well… not that immersive. Unless you connect with Thaddeus—who is stoic and standoffish (sorry—“mysterious”) enough that you probably won’t, there’s no one else worth looking forward to. Blaklok’s not the only MC, see, but he’s the only constant, with everyone else just flitting in and out. And, well, everyone else is an aforementioned bastard, making them difficult to love on a hat drop.
TL;DR
Kultus is the first novel from eventual English mainstay Richard S. Ford, and I’d definitely call it an “embattled” debut. There’s some good and some bad here, from good world-building and fast pacing to poor characters and worse planning. Some of the most barmy slang I’ve seen in fantasy, not all of which I could wrap my bonce around. It’s not rubbish, just… niche. Not everyone’s going to like this one, but Kultus definitely has its place. That said, so far Kultus is a one-off, and while the author says he’d like to write a followup sometime in the future, safe to say that future’s a long way off.
Reading on a Budget: The price is right—free on kindle unlimited, or $3 in the US (£2 in the UK), and you can probably find a discount paperback for little more (I paid just over $5 for mine). While I didn’t love the book, I’m not disappointed by my purchase. Good for a carryover or to split the time between two bricks, or maybe just to try something different and new.
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Thaddeus Blaklok is a thug, plain and simple. Well, no, as he’s also a demonist, mercenary, and mad bastard. One thing he isn’t, at least, is retired. As of today.
Not when Thaddeus awakens in his apartment with a massive hangover, room swimming before his eyes, a glowing summoning circle below his feet. And one thing seared into his bonce—find the Key of Lunos, wee artifact that can open a hell gate.
So Thaddeus hits the streets of the Manufactory, chasing down lost contacts and visiting old haunts. He’s not exactly sure what will happen should he fail to acquire the Key, but he knows it can’t be good. Just judging by how many stupid bastards are after the bloody thing.
Thugs, judicators, nobles, demons—everyone wants to get their hands on the Key, and are more than willing to kill for the opportunity. And Thaddeus is right in the middle.
—
Maybe she did deserve her position after all, maybe she had been compelled to put in twice the work for half the reward, merely due to her sex and her pretty face.
Most likely that meant she had something to prove.
It would certainly explain the stick up her arse.
—
The writing of this may well be the biggest turn-off, as Thaddeus (and by extension the author) doesn’t mince words. He’s a bastard, and treats everyone like the shit they are—even if they don’t necessarily deserve it. Yes, there are some niche exceptions to this rule, but more than not, everyone’s a nob. And it’s all opportunity: men, women, demons, nobles, and everyone in-between. Thaddeus doesn’t discriminate.
Another possible turn-off will be the language. It’s high in British slang, coupled with big words not often seen across the pond. Now, I watch a fair amount of British panel shows and football, so I was mostly on board, but someone whose interests are less international will have a definite problem with this.
Since neither of these were deal-breakers for me, let’s move on.
The story… wasn’t great—I mean, the plot was pretty straightforward: here’s a thing, get it, followed by Blaklok being accosted by every demon-hungry prick in the city. For the most part, this keeps the pace rolling, as our “hero” (Thaddeus is an antihero if anything) is tossed from one crisis to the next. Enjoyable enough, but for the endless bag of tricks at Blaklok’s disposal. Every time he’s in deep, he just reaches in and pulls out something new, which (a) keeps the reader on their toes, and (b) is endemic of lazy writing—basically a “get out of jail free” card. Whenever you have an issue you can’t solve with the tools at hand—introduce something new!
Billed as “lightning paced”, it’s hard to argue. This one goes quick, especially considering it’s under 300 pages. That said, it took me over a week to read, just because it’s, well… not that immersive. Unless you connect with Thaddeus—who is stoic and standoffish (sorry—“mysterious”) enough that you probably won’t, there’s no one else worth looking forward to. Blaklok’s not the only MC, see, but he’s the only constant, with everyone else just flitting in and out. And, well, everyone else is an aforementioned bastard, making them difficult to love on a hat drop.
TL;DR
Kultus is the first novel from eventual English mainstay Richard S. Ford, and I’d definitely call it an “embattled” debut. There’s some good and some bad here, from good world-building and fast pacing to poor characters and worse planning. Some of the most barmy slang I’ve seen in fantasy, not all of which I could wrap my bonce around. It’s not rubbish, just… niche. Not everyone’s going to like this one, but Kultus definitely has its place. That said, so far Kultus is a one-off, and while the author says he’d like to write a followup sometime in the future, safe to say that future’s a long way off.
Reading on a Budget: The price is right—free on kindle unlimited, or $3 in the US (£2 in the UK), and you can probably find a discount paperback for little more (I paid just over $5 for mine). While I didn’t love the book, I’m not disappointed by my purchase. Good for a carryover or to split the time between two bricks, or maybe just to try something different and new.
March 3, 2019
This was a rather different experience for me. I don't often read books of this kind, but I greatly enjoyed the illustrations.
December 6, 2019
... a fun and exciting read ...
March 17, 2012
The anti-hero is huge in fantasy right now, and it’s been reflected in my reading choices of late. Of course, when I first got into reading fantasy, some of my favorite characters were antiheroes — questionable characters such as Raistlin Majere from the DragonLance novels I read as a teenager or Gerald Tarrant from C.S. Friedman’s Coldfire Trilogy.
Over the last few months, I’ve read the first two books in Sam Sykes’ Aeon’s Gate series (which I wasn’t a fan of), featuring a band of anti-heroes, and Douglas Hulick’s AMONG THIEVES (which I was most definitely a fan of). Thaddeus Blaklok from Richard Ford’s KULTUS fits right in with the rest — a hulking badass who seems to be part legend among the citizens of the Manufactory, the smog-filled steampunk city Thaddeus inhabits.
It’s a quick-paced book, weighing in under 300 pages, and Thaddeus spends most of it flying from one fight scene to the other. It’s like your prototypical big-screen action movie, and with it come some of the weaknesses that come with a breakneck race from action scene to action scene.
First off, while Blaklok’s character is loaded with potential, there are some flaws. For most of the book, we really don’t know much about him. He’s a mercenary, but at the same time he goes out of his way to protect innocents, or at the very least keep the bloodiest fighting out of the public arena where innocents can be slaughtered. In the final pages, it’s hinted that he has an overarching goal, but that’s literally in the final 3-4 pages of the book.
Also, we’re continually told that Thaddeus is a badass, including by Thaddeus himself, but he spends a lot of the book getting the crap kicked out of him. He’s captured at least four times, which seems like an awful lot for a guy who’s as dangerous as we’re led to believe, and there are several chapters that end with him escaping one fight only to be captured by another set of enemies who have arrived just in time to pick him off. After a while, it gets a bit old, as Ford ends each chapter with either Thaddeus being captured or a character making some ominous statement.
It’s also worth pointing out that early in the book Thaddeus has to rely on some luck to free himself from capture, but later it turns out he has all these incredible powers that weren’t demonstrated earlier, when his life was in just as much danger. I can’t help but look at some of the things he does in the book’s climactic scenes (which are pretty awesome) and wonder why he didn’t do them in the book’s first hundred pages.
While Thaddeus has the potential to become a more fully fleshed out character in subsequent books, the Manufactory itself also has potential. Just as the speed of the plot prevented Ford from explaining too much about Thaddeus, it also keeps us from getting much description of the world, which I’d have liked to learn more about. For the most part, Ford is too busy racing from fight scene to fight scene to slow things down and smell the roses — or, perhaps more accurately, the cloying odors of the Manufactory — but he does take a moment at the Repository of Unnatural History, making that one of the most memorable settings in the book and demonstrating that he certainly has the skill to interweave description into the storyline.
It’s a good sign that I come away from the book wanting to know more about the main character and the setting — it shows that Ford has crafted a world I’m interested in — but I’d sure like for Ford to pay off my curiosity.
Overall, KULTUS isn’t as good as it could be, but it’s still a wild romp of a story with an intriguing protagonist and setting. Ford’s writing isn’t what it could be — he’s clumsy and repetitive at times, and some of Thaddeus’ exclamations, like this one here, bother me:
The Repository’s safeguards might be considered insurmountable by its custodians, but then again they had never tried to stop Thaddeus bleeding Blaklok!
But overall it’s a fun story and an interesting world. I’ll probably buy the next book in the series when it comes out in paperback, and hope Ford takes better advantage of the storytelling opportunities these characters and the world offer.
TOP FIVE BOOKS I’VE READ IN 2012:
1. AMONG THIEVES by Douglas Hulick
2. THE ART OF FIELDING by Chad Harbach
3. SANDMAN: FABLES & REFLECTIONS by Neil Gaiman
4. THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
5. KULTUS by Richard Ford
Over the last few months, I’ve read the first two books in Sam Sykes’ Aeon’s Gate series (which I wasn’t a fan of), featuring a band of anti-heroes, and Douglas Hulick’s AMONG THIEVES (which I was most definitely a fan of). Thaddeus Blaklok from Richard Ford’s KULTUS fits right in with the rest — a hulking badass who seems to be part legend among the citizens of the Manufactory, the smog-filled steampunk city Thaddeus inhabits.
It’s a quick-paced book, weighing in under 300 pages, and Thaddeus spends most of it flying from one fight scene to the other. It’s like your prototypical big-screen action movie, and with it come some of the weaknesses that come with a breakneck race from action scene to action scene.
First off, while Blaklok’s character is loaded with potential, there are some flaws. For most of the book, we really don’t know much about him. He’s a mercenary, but at the same time he goes out of his way to protect innocents, or at the very least keep the bloodiest fighting out of the public arena where innocents can be slaughtered. In the final pages, it’s hinted that he has an overarching goal, but that’s literally in the final 3-4 pages of the book.
Also, we’re continually told that Thaddeus is a badass, including by Thaddeus himself, but he spends a lot of the book getting the crap kicked out of him. He’s captured at least four times, which seems like an awful lot for a guy who’s as dangerous as we’re led to believe, and there are several chapters that end with him escaping one fight only to be captured by another set of enemies who have arrived just in time to pick him off. After a while, it gets a bit old, as Ford ends each chapter with either Thaddeus being captured or a character making some ominous statement.
It’s also worth pointing out that early in the book Thaddeus has to rely on some luck to free himself from capture, but later it turns out he has all these incredible powers that weren’t demonstrated earlier, when his life was in just as much danger. I can’t help but look at some of the things he does in the book’s climactic scenes (which are pretty awesome) and wonder why he didn’t do them in the book’s first hundred pages.
While Thaddeus has the potential to become a more fully fleshed out character in subsequent books, the Manufactory itself also has potential. Just as the speed of the plot prevented Ford from explaining too much about Thaddeus, it also keeps us from getting much description of the world, which I’d have liked to learn more about. For the most part, Ford is too busy racing from fight scene to fight scene to slow things down and smell the roses — or, perhaps more accurately, the cloying odors of the Manufactory — but he does take a moment at the Repository of Unnatural History, making that one of the most memorable settings in the book and demonstrating that he certainly has the skill to interweave description into the storyline.
It’s a good sign that I come away from the book wanting to know more about the main character and the setting — it shows that Ford has crafted a world I’m interested in — but I’d sure like for Ford to pay off my curiosity.
Overall, KULTUS isn’t as good as it could be, but it’s still a wild romp of a story with an intriguing protagonist and setting. Ford’s writing isn’t what it could be — he’s clumsy and repetitive at times, and some of Thaddeus’ exclamations, like this one here, bother me:
The Repository’s safeguards might be considered insurmountable by its custodians, but then again they had never tried to stop Thaddeus bleeding Blaklok!
But overall it’s a fun story and an interesting world. I’ll probably buy the next book in the series when it comes out in paperback, and hope Ford takes better advantage of the storytelling opportunities these characters and the world offer.
TOP FIVE BOOKS I’VE READ IN 2012:
1. AMONG THIEVES by Douglas Hulick
2. THE ART OF FIELDING by Chad Harbach
3. SANDMAN: FABLES & REFLECTIONS by Neil Gaiman
4. THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
5. KULTUS by Richard Ford
February 9, 2013
Note: no spoilers included in this review. The storyline is not inventive, and the main character is too obviously built as a badass anti-hero with a troubled past. The style of writing is irregular as well. Florid, slightly stilted passages are awkwardly punctuated with modern phrases. I'm not sure if this is meant to serve a purpose (accentuating the blend of old and new that is steampunk) or if it's the result of a modern writer who has an imperfect grasp of his own voice.
July 7, 2012
just didn't grab me. i think the author was trying to draw out the mystery of the main character's backstory, but it just left him as a cipher for me and made it hard to care what was going to happen to him next. And thus I gave up halfway thru. Giving it two stars because it wasn't a case of hating the book, and I bet the details of the universe could be enough to keep other people going.
February 23, 2018
This was a re-read which I have enjoyed even more the second time around. Such a shame there were no more Blaklok adventures.
January 31, 2013
Really weird read, but fun and different.
March 19, 2012
3.5+
Good fun. Review forthcoming.
Good fun. Review forthcoming.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 17 reviews