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Heretic #2
Crossing Mother's Grave
About the book:
Popalia and her protectors may have escaped the Regulator’s fortress, but not without consequences. Tensions worsen within the priestess’s group. Despite her gangs reproach, stubborn Popalia is determined to recover the holy artifact from the thieves who’d stolen it.
Further along this stretch of road is one of the responsible thieves, and she hides within a merchant’s caravan less than a day ahead. By catching that thief, Popalia believes a bargain could be made for their lives, as well as secure the next link in recovering her church’s priceless relic.
Not far behind, and pursuing the outlaw priestess is Commandant Saviid Benning, who rages, “Damn her church, I want that priestess’s head – the crows can eat her remains.” The head-hunting party is closing in for the kill. Popalia is pinched between the hunters giving chase, and the fortress at Faradell Pass—gated, walled, and housing half a platoon of formidable soldiers.
Popalia’s group, hungry to split up and make the run for their lives, stumble upon the merchant’s caravan—looted and abandoned in the middle of the road. Out-running the blood-bounty behind them, and hoping for a miracle to get around the soldiers waiting atop the summit—preparing a reckless rescue mission wasn’t fitting anyone’s plans.
Excerpt:
Raenyl moved steadily on soundless feet. The tightness of the cavern was intensified by the radius of his torchlight. He hated the damn torch, and this damn cave. If anything waited in the shadow at the end of his light, his silence would be pointless. “Damn this stupidity,” he muttered under his breath.
He travelled beyond the bend maybe seventy, or a hundred paces, when his thoughts struck him. Why hadn’t they ditched the stupid and annoying priestess? The two of them should have split as soon as they saw the empty caravan. Good luck priestess, but we got to go, but here he was––down in this rotten cave––looking for dead people.
Arguing with himself, he knew exactly why he was here. The priestess manipulated all of them into this shit-deal. They had good reason to run for their lives. The Regulators would come for them. You can’t burn down a military base without retaliation. It was like smacking a bee hive with a stick, someone would get stung.
Raenyl looked deep within himself. Shaking his head he knew Seth was right. Deep down, he knew if only one survivor from that caravan was down here, and they just walked away...
No, that weight would be far too heavy to carry. Even if his last day came soon, thoughts like that would haunt him until his final sunset. Conscience dragged him here. Popalia only fanned the flames.
Conscience did not stand alone; there was also the terrible seed of hope. Once again, the fault lay at Popalia’s feet. Curse her and her feeble hope. The variable promises of ‘what if’ rattled in his mind. Seth made it clear what if also bounced around in his own skull. What if Katia was still alive? What if Popalia’s church could free them from their death sentence? What if crawling in this damn cave could alter their inevitable fates?
Popalia and her protectors may have escaped the Regulator’s fortress, but not without consequences. Tensions worsen within the priestess’s group. Despite her gangs reproach, stubborn Popalia is determined to recover the holy artifact from the thieves who’d stolen it.
Further along this stretch of road is one of the responsible thieves, and she hides within a merchant’s caravan less than a day ahead. By catching that thief, Popalia believes a bargain could be made for their lives, as well as secure the next link in recovering her church’s priceless relic.
Not far behind, and pursuing the outlaw priestess is Commandant Saviid Benning, who rages, “Damn her church, I want that priestess’s head – the crows can eat her remains.” The head-hunting party is closing in for the kill. Popalia is pinched between the hunters giving chase, and the fortress at Faradell Pass—gated, walled, and housing half a platoon of formidable soldiers.
Popalia’s group, hungry to split up and make the run for their lives, stumble upon the merchant’s caravan—looted and abandoned in the middle of the road. Out-running the blood-bounty behind them, and hoping for a miracle to get around the soldiers waiting atop the summit—preparing a reckless rescue mission wasn’t fitting anyone’s plans.
Excerpt:
Raenyl moved steadily on soundless feet. The tightness of the cavern was intensified by the radius of his torchlight. He hated the damn torch, and this damn cave. If anything waited in the shadow at the end of his light, his silence would be pointless. “Damn this stupidity,” he muttered under his breath.
He travelled beyond the bend maybe seventy, or a hundred paces, when his thoughts struck him. Why hadn’t they ditched the stupid and annoying priestess? The two of them should have split as soon as they saw the empty caravan. Good luck priestess, but we got to go, but here he was––down in this rotten cave––looking for dead people.
Arguing with himself, he knew exactly why he was here. The priestess manipulated all of them into this shit-deal. They had good reason to run for their lives. The Regulators would come for them. You can’t burn down a military base without retaliation. It was like smacking a bee hive with a stick, someone would get stung.
Raenyl looked deep within himself. Shaking his head he knew Seth was right. Deep down, he knew if only one survivor from that caravan was down here, and they just walked away...
No, that weight would be far too heavy to carry. Even if his last day came soon, thoughts like that would haunt him until his final sunset. Conscience dragged him here. Popalia only fanned the flames.
Conscience did not stand alone; there was also the terrible seed of hope. Once again, the fault lay at Popalia’s feet. Curse her and her feeble hope. The variable promises of ‘what if’ rattled in his mind. Seth made it clear what if also bounced around in his own skull. What if Katia was still alive? What if Popalia’s church could free them from their death sentence? What if crawling in this damn cave could alter their inevitable fates?
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Jake Elliot
11 books18 followersJake Elliot is a hybrid author who generally writes dark fiction with mildly sarcastic and ironic edges. With one short film, eight short stories, and three novels to his credit, he considers himself accomplished in a grossly over-saturated market. When not writing twisted little stories, or working for ‘the man,’ Jake and his wife enjoy going on real life adventures. World travelers, they have visited Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria—all of these experiences stain and bleed into Jake’s writings—but sometimes only as wisps and smudged fingerprints.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 11, 2012
I was privileged to be asked to review Crossing Mother’s Grave by Jake Elliot. Jake and I “met” through our shared publisher, and parts of my review to his first book can be found inside the cover of this one. Crossing Mother’s Grave is the sequel to Elliot’s first novel, The Wrong Way Down, and I don’t think they can be read out of order, so if you haven’t read the first, you can have the luxury of reading them both back to back (where as I had to wait several months).
It is not often that a sequel out does the original, but over the past couple months, I have come across two (I will get into the other at another time). Often we get conned into reading a sequel because the first was so good – i.e. The Hunger Games, lets face it the first was way better than the second.
That is not the case with Crossing Mother’s Grave. This installment actually out does the first (and not that the first was bad), it was not, but it required a large amount of set up to introduce the Characters, the Setting, and so on (typical of a Fantasy novel since the author has to introduce their new world). This one was not encumbered with set up, so instead we get action – and a lot of it.
Elliot managed to take me back to my D&D days (I know, I’m a geek). I was reminded of those days drawing elaborate cave maps and setting up pitfalls and wicked monsters along the catacombs, only this book is more violent than I could have imagined as a teen.
Set mostly in the dark, I could feel the claustrophobia setting in. Popalia and her companions escape possible death at Dead Rik’s and resume their hunt for the thief that stole a sacred artifact, only to find that their prey has been captured and taken underground by an Orc hunting party. Fleeing through vast caverns, they spend the entire novel in ‘Mother’s Grave’ with only torches to light their way and death around every corner.
Elliot really sets the mood from the very beginning and my earlier assessment of possibly three or four novels is likely completely wrong – we may be at the beginning of a very long epic – having only scratched the surface – especially with what we find out at the end.
Where the first book seemed to hold back on the violence and sexuality, this one opened it up. From bloody fight scenes to eating human flesh, Crossing Mother’s Grave delivers excitement – and most of all empathetic characters that both inspire and annoy.
Great novel, Jake, your fans will not be disappointed!
It is not often that a sequel out does the original, but over the past couple months, I have come across two (I will get into the other at another time). Often we get conned into reading a sequel because the first was so good – i.e. The Hunger Games, lets face it the first was way better than the second.
That is not the case with Crossing Mother’s Grave. This installment actually out does the first (and not that the first was bad), it was not, but it required a large amount of set up to introduce the Characters, the Setting, and so on (typical of a Fantasy novel since the author has to introduce their new world). This one was not encumbered with set up, so instead we get action – and a lot of it.
Elliot managed to take me back to my D&D days (I know, I’m a geek). I was reminded of those days drawing elaborate cave maps and setting up pitfalls and wicked monsters along the catacombs, only this book is more violent than I could have imagined as a teen.
Set mostly in the dark, I could feel the claustrophobia setting in. Popalia and her companions escape possible death at Dead Rik’s and resume their hunt for the thief that stole a sacred artifact, only to find that their prey has been captured and taken underground by an Orc hunting party. Fleeing through vast caverns, they spend the entire novel in ‘Mother’s Grave’ with only torches to light their way and death around every corner.
Elliot really sets the mood from the very beginning and my earlier assessment of possibly three or four novels is likely completely wrong – we may be at the beginning of a very long epic – having only scratched the surface – especially with what we find out at the end.
Where the first book seemed to hold back on the violence and sexuality, this one opened it up. From bloody fight scenes to eating human flesh, Crossing Mother’s Grave delivers excitement – and most of all empathetic characters that both inspire and annoy.
Great novel, Jake, your fans will not be disappointed!
October 6, 2012
The second installment of Jake Elliot's series- beginning with Wrong Way Down. Completely amazing book, while very dark and detailed, it also had an awesome way to get some humor in there! I already cannot wait to read the next book!
December 20, 2012
This review was originally posted at my blog (http://legionwood.wordpress.com)
There are certain difficulties that one encounters when reviewing a sequel. The truth is, sequels don’t get the chance to make first impressions and it’s hard to approach one without having expectations that are tainted by the prequel. Sometimes, a sequel to a well-written novel has a lot to live up to, and sometimes sequels come across as being poor imitations of the original product.
Fortunately, Crossing Mother’s Grave by Jake Elliot (published by Damnation Books) — the sequel to Elliot’s earlier fantasy novel The Wrong Way Down – is an example of a sequel that does what it is supposed to do. Elliot’s second outing does everything that a good sequel should: it captures the best elements of the original and takes them to new heights, while also nicely addressing most of the criticisms of its prequel. Crossing Mother’s Grave is clear evidence that Elliot is evolving as a writer and, like its predecessor, is a fantastic action adventure story that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to fans of dark fantasy. Everything that was great about Elliot’s first novel is present here in Crossing Mother’s Grave and it’s done even better than it was before.
Like The Wrong Way Down before it, Crossing Mother’s Grave is a dark fantasy novel with an emphasis on fast paced action and adventuring rather than political intrigue or saving the world, and there’s also a slight hint of horror awaiting readers who don’t mind things getting squeamish. If you’re looking for the complexity of Game of Thrones, you won’t find it here. Like its prequel, Crossing Mother’s Grave is a thrilling chase story that happens to be set in a fantasy world. It’s not really anything you haven’t seen before in the fantasy genre (it actually kind of reminds me of a typical Dungeons and Dragons campaign from the old days — you know, the ones where a bunch of ill-equipped heroes spend the entire time going through a cave butchering orcs) but it gets points for being a fun ride and for not bogging readers down with the complex lore and politics that seems to be popular in the genre of late.
Crossing Mother’s Grave‘s picks up where the first book left off, with priestess Popalia and her party of adventurers still on the trail of a thief who stole a sacred artifact from Popalia’s temple. Having escaped from the Regulator’s fortress, they’re one step closer to finally closing in on their quarry, though things start to get complicated again when they encounter a raided merchant caravan and have to deal with yet another dangerous obstacle. While the story is a direct continuation of The Wrong Way Down, Elliot does a good job of keeping his readers up to date with what’s happened so far and, given his tendency to avoid convoluted backstory, Crossing Mother’s Grave can probably be easily enjoyed on its own without having to read the prequel. There aren’t a lot of links to the previous novel that make it necessary to read the two in sequence and Elliot has done a good job of making Crossing Mother’s Grave accessible to new readers as well as fans of his previous work.
While the basic story and format isn’t too different to the previous book, the actual prose in Crossing Mother’s Grave shows a clear improvement over The Wrong Way Down. One of my criticisms about the previous book concerned its lack of cohesive character development (there was one notable character who grew as a character but then regressed back to how he began at the outset — which wasn’t a satisfying character arc) and Elliot has worked hard to make sure that his characters are a lot more fleshed out and believable this time around. Popalia is a strong female protagonist (which is a nice thing to see in the fantasy genre) and the character development works a lot better. Elliot’s writing style and general pacing have also improved — while the first book suffered from grammatical errors, changing tenses and a few over-descriptive passages, these are mostly absent in Crossing Mother’s Grave. Elliot’s writing is a lot tighter than it was before — the pace of Crossing Mother’s Grave is consistent and the action is exciting.
Again, if you don’t generally like fantasy novels, then don’t expect Crossing Mother’s Grave to be the book that changes that sentiment. However, if you don’t mind the traditional tropes and you’re looking for something that goes down well on a lazy summer day, you can do worse than check out Crossing Mother’s Grave. Assuming you liked the first book, you’ll like this one, too and if you haven’t read the first book, just skip it and pick this one up. Happy adventuring.
There are certain difficulties that one encounters when reviewing a sequel. The truth is, sequels don’t get the chance to make first impressions and it’s hard to approach one without having expectations that are tainted by the prequel. Sometimes, a sequel to a well-written novel has a lot to live up to, and sometimes sequels come across as being poor imitations of the original product.
Fortunately, Crossing Mother’s Grave by Jake Elliot (published by Damnation Books) — the sequel to Elliot’s earlier fantasy novel The Wrong Way Down – is an example of a sequel that does what it is supposed to do. Elliot’s second outing does everything that a good sequel should: it captures the best elements of the original and takes them to new heights, while also nicely addressing most of the criticisms of its prequel. Crossing Mother’s Grave is clear evidence that Elliot is evolving as a writer and, like its predecessor, is a fantastic action adventure story that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to fans of dark fantasy. Everything that was great about Elliot’s first novel is present here in Crossing Mother’s Grave and it’s done even better than it was before.
Like The Wrong Way Down before it, Crossing Mother’s Grave is a dark fantasy novel with an emphasis on fast paced action and adventuring rather than political intrigue or saving the world, and there’s also a slight hint of horror awaiting readers who don’t mind things getting squeamish. If you’re looking for the complexity of Game of Thrones, you won’t find it here. Like its prequel, Crossing Mother’s Grave is a thrilling chase story that happens to be set in a fantasy world. It’s not really anything you haven’t seen before in the fantasy genre (it actually kind of reminds me of a typical Dungeons and Dragons campaign from the old days — you know, the ones where a bunch of ill-equipped heroes spend the entire time going through a cave butchering orcs) but it gets points for being a fun ride and for not bogging readers down with the complex lore and politics that seems to be popular in the genre of late.
Crossing Mother’s Grave‘s picks up where the first book left off, with priestess Popalia and her party of adventurers still on the trail of a thief who stole a sacred artifact from Popalia’s temple. Having escaped from the Regulator’s fortress, they’re one step closer to finally closing in on their quarry, though things start to get complicated again when they encounter a raided merchant caravan and have to deal with yet another dangerous obstacle. While the story is a direct continuation of The Wrong Way Down, Elliot does a good job of keeping his readers up to date with what’s happened so far and, given his tendency to avoid convoluted backstory, Crossing Mother’s Grave can probably be easily enjoyed on its own without having to read the prequel. There aren’t a lot of links to the previous novel that make it necessary to read the two in sequence and Elliot has done a good job of making Crossing Mother’s Grave accessible to new readers as well as fans of his previous work.
While the basic story and format isn’t too different to the previous book, the actual prose in Crossing Mother’s Grave shows a clear improvement over The Wrong Way Down. One of my criticisms about the previous book concerned its lack of cohesive character development (there was one notable character who grew as a character but then regressed back to how he began at the outset — which wasn’t a satisfying character arc) and Elliot has worked hard to make sure that his characters are a lot more fleshed out and believable this time around. Popalia is a strong female protagonist (which is a nice thing to see in the fantasy genre) and the character development works a lot better. Elliot’s writing style and general pacing have also improved — while the first book suffered from grammatical errors, changing tenses and a few over-descriptive passages, these are mostly absent in Crossing Mother’s Grave. Elliot’s writing is a lot tighter than it was before — the pace of Crossing Mother’s Grave is consistent and the action is exciting.
Again, if you don’t generally like fantasy novels, then don’t expect Crossing Mother’s Grave to be the book that changes that sentiment. However, if you don’t mind the traditional tropes and you’re looking for something that goes down well on a lazy summer day, you can do worse than check out Crossing Mother’s Grave. Assuming you liked the first book, you’ll like this one, too and if you haven’t read the first book, just skip it and pick this one up. Happy adventuring.
November 20, 2012
Crossing Mother's Grave is the second book in a series by Jake Elliot. This second novel shows a great deal of growth by Elliot as an author. The first book introduced the characters and established the long term plot of the series. In Crossing Mother's Grave, the characters, the plot, and the author begin to find their stride.
Elliot sums up the first book within the first chapter or two of the book, without having a "Previously in the series" rundown, which I really appreciate. A reader could enjoy Crossing Mother's Grave without having read The Wrong Way Down, but I believe one would enjoy this book more already having experienced the first one.
Briefly, the series begins with a valuable relic being stolen from a religious site. The young priestess, Popalia believes it is her sacred duty to recover the relic, and, with her friend/protector elf Wynkkur sets out to find the thief and recover the relic. Along the way their band of misfit heroes grows as others join their cause.
Like its predecessor, Crossing Mother's Grave is action packed. Elliot's characters are very well developed, and we learn more about the back story of many in this volume. The characters also travel along arcs, and learn more about themselves and each other. as they continue their journey together.
Elliot steps up the action and battle sequences in this installment, and while there is mild blood and gore, it isn't anything too grotesque.
There are three things that I really appreciated about this volume. One is the setting - much of the action takes places underground within a network of caves. Elliot did his research well, as a reader I could feel the difficulty navigating in complete darkness and trying to fight off invading orcs within increasingly narrowing caves. Another is the addition of additional mythical creatures such as gnomes, who play a small but crucial role. Thirdly, Elliot expands the mythology of his characters, I greatly enjoyed the origin story of the elves, and how it ties into the story's narrative, and indeed, its title.
Elliot sums up the first book within the first chapter or two of the book, without having a "Previously in the series" rundown, which I really appreciate. A reader could enjoy Crossing Mother's Grave without having read The Wrong Way Down, but I believe one would enjoy this book more already having experienced the first one.
Briefly, the series begins with a valuable relic being stolen from a religious site. The young priestess, Popalia believes it is her sacred duty to recover the relic, and, with her friend/protector elf Wynkkur sets out to find the thief and recover the relic. Along the way their band of misfit heroes grows as others join their cause.
Like its predecessor, Crossing Mother's Grave is action packed. Elliot's characters are very well developed, and we learn more about the back story of many in this volume. The characters also travel along arcs, and learn more about themselves and each other. as they continue their journey together.
Elliot steps up the action and battle sequences in this installment, and while there is mild blood and gore, it isn't anything too grotesque.
There are three things that I really appreciated about this volume. One is the setting - much of the action takes places underground within a network of caves. Elliot did his research well, as a reader I could feel the difficulty navigating in complete darkness and trying to fight off invading orcs within increasingly narrowing caves. Another is the addition of additional mythical creatures such as gnomes, who play a small but crucial role. Thirdly, Elliot expands the mythology of his characters, I greatly enjoyed the origin story of the elves, and how it ties into the story's narrative, and indeed, its title.
September 18, 2012
This is the second book in a series by fantasy/horror author Jake Elliot. I read the first installment "The Wrong Way Down" earlier this year. While I enjoyed the first book and thought it was an enjoyable and action-packed quick read, although it was plagued by a few grammatical issues.
I was pleased to see that "Crossing Mother's Grave" was a much easier read and that Elliot has evolved a great deal as a writer. Like "The Wrong Way Down", "Crossing Mother's Grave" is action-packed. This new novel is largely set in a cave, which increased my interest-level, and there are a few semi-grotesque scenes for the reader to enjoy (I love feeling a bit squeamish).
The best parts of the book for me were: interesting characters, a strong female protagonist, dynamic plot and well-developed conflict.
Although this is the second book in a series, I think it could be read as a stand-alone book. However, the reader might get better enjoyment out of the book if "The Wrong Way Down" has also been read. I'm looking forward to reading the third installment in the series.
I was pleased to see that "Crossing Mother's Grave" was a much easier read and that Elliot has evolved a great deal as a writer. Like "The Wrong Way Down", "Crossing Mother's Grave" is action-packed. This new novel is largely set in a cave, which increased my interest-level, and there are a few semi-grotesque scenes for the reader to enjoy (I love feeling a bit squeamish).
The best parts of the book for me were: interesting characters, a strong female protagonist, dynamic plot and well-developed conflict.
Although this is the second book in a series, I think it could be read as a stand-alone book. However, the reader might get better enjoyment out of the book if "The Wrong Way Down" has also been read. I'm looking forward to reading the third installment in the series.
February 20, 2016
Crossing Mother's Grave is Jake Elliot's follow up to The Wrong Way Down. While The Wrong Way Down kept my interest and left me wanting to know more about where the character's quest would lead them, Crossing Mother's Grave was packed with even better storytelling and action. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to reading more from Elliot as he continues to expand his catalog.
January 7, 2013
Crossing Mother's Grave takes a couple more steps backwards than it does forwards from The Wrong Way Down. There are moments of great writing in there, and technically the prose was consistently of a higher quality (barely any typos or grammatical errors compared to the first book), but I had a really hard time engaging with the story and rarely did I feel moments of tension, suspense, or elation. Elliot is a good writer who has some obvious natural talents, but he needs to work on refining his plot progression and dialogue. Hopefully he can address these issues and bounce back for book three.
Full review will be published on http://fantasybookreview.co.uk
Full review will be published on http://fantasybookreview.co.uk
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews