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Calcaria
In a world that has forgotten the sound of its own heartbeat, in a city lost under the creak of gears and the hiss of steam; a darkness grows. Two worlds barely cling to life, and one reluctant stranger holds the power to tear them apart, or heal them. Join a confused demon, a brash alchemist, a stoic gardener and one seemingly unremarkable orange tomcat for a journey into a realm only limited by the reaches of the wildest of imaginations ... and faucet handles.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 15, 2013
This book is described by the authors themselves as a yaoi and the description fits it completely: if you like that specific genre you will enjoy it, if you do not you will not.
For those who do not really know what a yaoi is supposed to be, here are some notes.
After the first pages this rather long book, the first volume in a series, seems to be a M/M fantasy.
The peaceful coexistence of characters straight from the victorian era with magic users and steam machines/vehicles allows us to file this work in the steampunk subgenre.
Things get weirder when we realise that this fantasy setting is peopled not only by magic users but also by demons (the humanoid ones with horns and claws). The overlapping of the human world with a parallel dimention inhabited by supernatural creatures is a distinctive feature of Japanese fantasy fiction.
One or more prominent homosexual relationships, usually involving an older, taller, stronger man and a younger, weaker and more feminine (and submissive) boy are on the other hand a distinctive feature of Japanese yaoi fiction, a romantic subgenre usually authored by women for a female audience.
All these elements are here mixed and give life to quite an original and pleasant work.
As it is usually the case with yaoi (and unusual with fantasy) there is hardly any plot and what little there is, is neither fast paced nor exactly tight or entirely consistent. While it never really drags, the pace is usually sedate with just a couple of action scenes.
The aim of the authors is that of highlighting the sentimental journey of the characters, their quarrels, their getting to know each other and gradually falling in love.
Yaoi are often quite sexual but this is not the case here: there are a couple of sex scenes and an undeniable sexual tension between the leads but there is nothing really graphic.
The villain is a pitch-black soul with no redeeming quality whatsoever. Her confrontations with the leads are extremely violent, filled with hatred and are essentially the only motor pushing the action forward.
The characterization of all other characters is well rounded and fairly consistent.
While this is a perfectly enjoyable read (a bit expensive, though, better to download it as a freebie if possible) it also needs some serious editing.
Grammar mistakes, typos, missing words are not disrupting but there really are many of them. In the last fourth of the file length editing gets worse and the mistakes are sometimes disrupting.
The story is not self contained and ends with a cliff-hanger.
For those who do not really know what a yaoi is supposed to be, here are some notes.
After the first pages this rather long book, the first volume in a series, seems to be a M/M fantasy.
The peaceful coexistence of characters straight from the victorian era with magic users and steam machines/vehicles allows us to file this work in the steampunk subgenre.
Things get weirder when we realise that this fantasy setting is peopled not only by magic users but also by demons (the humanoid ones with horns and claws). The overlapping of the human world with a parallel dimention inhabited by supernatural creatures is a distinctive feature of Japanese fantasy fiction.
One or more prominent homosexual relationships, usually involving an older, taller, stronger man and a younger, weaker and more feminine (and submissive) boy are on the other hand a distinctive feature of Japanese yaoi fiction, a romantic subgenre usually authored by women for a female audience.
All these elements are here mixed and give life to quite an original and pleasant work.
As it is usually the case with yaoi (and unusual with fantasy) there is hardly any plot and what little there is, is neither fast paced nor exactly tight or entirely consistent. While it never really drags, the pace is usually sedate with just a couple of action scenes.
The aim of the authors is that of highlighting the sentimental journey of the characters, their quarrels, their getting to know each other and gradually falling in love.
Yaoi are often quite sexual but this is not the case here: there are a couple of sex scenes and an undeniable sexual tension between the leads but there is nothing really graphic.
The villain is a pitch-black soul with no redeeming quality whatsoever. Her confrontations with the leads are extremely violent, filled with hatred and are essentially the only motor pushing the action forward.
The characterization of all other characters is well rounded and fairly consistent.
While this is a perfectly enjoyable read (a bit expensive, though, better to download it as a freebie if possible) it also needs some serious editing.
Grammar mistakes, typos, missing words are not disrupting but there really are many of them. In the last fourth of the file length editing gets worse and the mistakes are sometimes disrupting.
The story is not self contained and ends with a cliff-hanger.
November 1, 2013
This was a fun read with a very slow building romance. It's definitely the first half of one story, and I'm kind of sad that I may never get to finish it, since both this book and the sequel, Baelal, Book Two: Abyss, have since been pulled down from Amazon. Maybe someday. Anyway!
The world of Calcaria is a wonderful mix of magic and steampunky goodness. Rowan is an alchemist, who's also a bit of an idealist. Which is why when he sees a stranger lost and dazed on the street during a festival, he buys him a mug of hot milk and chats a bit. And so he meets the man his little sister dubs Dakheel.
Dakheel is a demon from the parallel world known as the Abyss. He's come to Calcaria because he feels alone in his own world. And when he first meets Rowan, he feels strangely drawn to him. We find out the exact reason why when his mother's secrets are unraveled.
But Dakheel brings enemies with him, or rather, just one. An angry ex-mate, determined to have him or let no-one else.
I really enjoyed this story. The way the worlds co-exist with each other and depend on each other is very well thought out and a fascinating idea. The characters I found well-developed. I particularly like Rowan's character arc over this first book, and I'm sure it continues in the second book. His change from such a strong idealist to a somewhat bitter, disillusioned man is strong, so very real, and tainted by grief. I think in the second book, we would see Rowan return to his idealism with a greater strength and passion, tempered.
This story does read like a fanfic, like two authors each having a different character and writing paragraphs back and forth, which can be annoying, but I'm used to it from reading online. Plus, they very nicely don't overlap, so good for them! Still, if you're not used to this style, I imagine it could be very distracting. But if the authors ever do a rewrite (please?), this would be an amazing story.
Favorite quote time!
This is especially poignant when considered in light of what is revealed soon after, , and one of the things that we see Dakheel struggle with repeatedly is his "human" emotions. This quote, that last line in particular, seems to sum up the emotional heart of this book for me.
The world of Calcaria is a wonderful mix of magic and steampunky goodness. Rowan is an alchemist, who's also a bit of an idealist. Which is why when he sees a stranger lost and dazed on the street during a festival, he buys him a mug of hot milk and chats a bit. And so he meets the man his little sister dubs Dakheel.
Dakheel is a demon from the parallel world known as the Abyss. He's come to Calcaria because he feels alone in his own world. And when he first meets Rowan, he feels strangely drawn to him. We find out the exact reason why when his mother's secrets are unraveled.
But Dakheel brings enemies with him, or rather, just one. An angry ex-mate, determined to have him or let no-one else.
I really enjoyed this story. The way the worlds co-exist with each other and depend on each other is very well thought out and a fascinating idea. The characters I found well-developed. I particularly like Rowan's character arc over this first book, and I'm sure it continues in the second book. His change from such a strong idealist to a somewhat bitter, disillusioned man is strong, so very real, and tainted by grief. I think in the second book, we would see Rowan return to his idealism with a greater strength and passion, tempered.
This story does read like a fanfic, like two authors each having a different character and writing paragraphs back and forth, which can be annoying, but I'm used to it from reading online. Plus, they very nicely don't overlap, so good for them! Still, if you're not used to this style, I imagine it could be very distracting. But if the authors ever do a rewrite (please?), this would be an amazing story.
Favorite quote time!
Perhaps that made Rowan a bad person, to be comforted by someone else's suffering when it was compatible to his own. Perhaps that was what made him human?
This is especially poignant when considered in light of what is revealed soon after, , and one of the things that we see Dakheel struggle with repeatedly is his "human" emotions. This quote, that last line in particular, seems to sum up the emotional heart of this book for me.
March 14, 2013
I got this one when it was offered for free on Amazon and I wasn't expecting much. But I ended up having a great time reading this delightful story. It has lots of action as it follows Dakheel a demon who finds himself in the human land of Calcaria where he gets involved with a young 17 year old boy, Rowan and his family and friends. People have different magical skills in Calcaria. Rowan is an alchemist. The magic groups are feuding with one another and the country is on the verge of a civil war when outside elements adds fuel to the chaos. This book is a little steampunk, magic & demon power/rhelm combo. It also has an m/m bonding element to the story that's handled with a light touch. Of course, all is not resolved by the end of the book so I'll have to check out book 2 to see what happens next.
(This appears to be self published and it does have some errors like the occasional sentence missing a word or some typos, but nothing that affected my enjoyment of the book)
(This appears to be self published and it does have some errors like the occasional sentence missing a word or some typos, but nothing that affected my enjoyment of the book)
Want to read
December 21, 2014Read the chapters offered for free, but I hesitate to buy the whole book as it's not clear yet who are the main lovers of this series. Probably I'll wait for the sequel to be published, and then I'll know for sure.
And the price (for a non-US reader the kindle version is $13.79!!!) doesn't really drives one to go for it, if only it were possible to acquire it from some other online seller...
And the price (for a non-US reader the kindle version is $13.79!!!) doesn't really drives one to go for it, if only it were possible to acquire it from some other online seller...
September 4, 2013
OK, negatives first just to get them out of the way . . . typos. And more typos. Oh, and did I say typos? Fortunately the human brain is wired to fill in gaps and make corrections. :p
There were far too many missed opportunities to flesh out scenes and situations. Some of them felt like shorthand and I found myself thinking how lovely it would have been to have a clearer description/mental picture of what was happening. I felt cheated at not having the telling details of what was being played out (consider it a backhanded compliment - the flavors were so good, I wanted way more than a skimpy portion.)
The ending was too frenetic. Felt rushed, like it was written in "had to finish" mode. It was also guilty of "throw in everything but the kitchen sink" school of thought regarding possible crises and hairbreadth escapes - there were just one (or two) too many of those.
All that being said - I really liked this. I liked the characters A LOT. While there were some aspects of Romance Formula 101, this wasn't a hetero story dressed up in pants. The male characters felt genuine (well, as genuine as a fantasy character can get, I suppose). There are a couple of very strong, essential female characters (Ariene, Efa) that are not just window-dressing or sidekicks. There are some nicely fleshed out supporting characters (Ainsley). The world the author creates is very magical and evocative (the festivals; the steam creations; the orange cat). The morphology of the true nature of the main characters is fascinating and kept me intrigued. (Loved the idea of grooming being a natural societal trait that humans have lost the art of - I bet there's some actual basis for that concept since we are in essence primates). Last, but certainly not least, I really loved the relationship of the two main characters and how it developed - there was a really nice pacing to their growth in discovering each other through about 75% of the book. It was compelling and definitely kept me wanting more.
I am unable to find book 2 (yet?), but I want to follow this story. I want to know more about the Abyss, Dakheel's back story, and where these two characters are going next. I want to encourage this author to do more, hopefully in this setting, because I want to read more of their work.
There were far too many missed opportunities to flesh out scenes and situations. Some of them felt like shorthand and I found myself thinking how lovely it would have been to have a clearer description/mental picture of what was happening. I felt cheated at not having the telling details of what was being played out (consider it a backhanded compliment - the flavors were so good, I wanted way more than a skimpy portion.)
The ending was too frenetic. Felt rushed, like it was written in "had to finish" mode. It was also guilty of "throw in everything but the kitchen sink" school of thought regarding possible crises and hairbreadth escapes - there were just one (or two) too many of those.
All that being said - I really liked this. I liked the characters A LOT. While there were some aspects of Romance Formula 101, this wasn't a hetero story dressed up in pants. The male characters felt genuine (well, as genuine as a fantasy character can get, I suppose). There are a couple of very strong, essential female characters (Ariene, Efa) that are not just window-dressing or sidekicks. There are some nicely fleshed out supporting characters (Ainsley). The world the author creates is very magical and evocative (the festivals; the steam creations; the orange cat). The morphology of the true nature of the main characters is fascinating and kept me intrigued. (Loved the idea of grooming being a natural societal trait that humans have lost the art of - I bet there's some actual basis for that concept since we are in essence primates). Last, but certainly not least, I really loved the relationship of the two main characters and how it developed - there was a really nice pacing to their growth in discovering each other through about 75% of the book. It was compelling and definitely kept me wanting more.
I am unable to find book 2 (yet?), but I want to follow this story. I want to know more about the Abyss, Dakheel's back story, and where these two characters are going next. I want to encourage this author to do more, hopefully in this setting, because I want to read more of their work.
September 30, 2013
It's a rather long book, but really entertaining in an easy way. There are so many details and lots of action so the the story just flows by. As this book covers only a short period of time it makes sense that the relationship between the main characters strengthens slowly.
I still find the idea of shapeshifting rather strange and can't help to wonder that it fills a whole genre here while I've never held a single paperback book with a shifter-story. However I think the mixture of fantasy and science fiction genres is nicely done here.
I still find the idea of shapeshifting rather strange and can't help to wonder that it fills a whole genre here while I've never held a single paperback book with a shifter-story. However I think the mixture of fantasy and science fiction genres is nicely done here.
December 1, 2015
I actually liked the story and the characters, but somehow I never really found into the book. The pace was quite slow and it took me a while to finish reading the story. Don't know yet if I will continue the series!
could-not-finish
September 3, 2018There was definitely something there - but all the somewhat flowery and definitely extraneous language got in the way. After a while, it was more annoying than the story was interesting and I gave up trying to wade through it.
Example: once you introduce a character, there's no need to call that character stranger, brown-haired boy, taller boy, etc. - it's OK to use that character's name or just say "he" (especially when trying to convey that character's viewpoint).
Example: once you introduce a character, there's no need to call that character stranger, brown-haired boy, taller boy, etc. - it's OK to use that character's name or just say "he" (especially when trying to convey that character's viewpoint).
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews