Magicfall

by Maxwell Alexander Drake, Marie M. Mullany

On a floating citadel soaring above an irradiated world, Buri Zuren, a humble baker endowed with a touch of the mystical, finds herself thrust into a lethal quest beyond the protective dome of her home. Compelled by her desperate bid to save her sister and erase her debts, Buri, accompanied by her loyal fliat, Teacup, must confront perilous allies and navigate the lethal threats of the unchartered planetside.

Simultaneously, Lyron ka'Gul, a man born to privilege, grapples with the stigma of his silver-spoon existence. His quest for purpose reveals a sprawling plot that threatens to disrupt the equilibrium of their haven in the skies.

As the contest escalates, Buri and Lyron confront personal specters, the forging of their unlikely bond becoming the difference between survival and oblivion in the harsh world beyond the dome.

In this breathtaking saga, allegiances will waver and kinships will be born amidst daunting adversity. Buri and Lyron, racing against the relentless march of time and a landscape strewn with foes, must unravel the truth concealed within their world if they are to have any chance of preserving their city, and the ones they hold dear.

Prepare for an unforgettable journey, a potent mix of gripping action, searing loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. A tale set in a world perched precariously on the brink of obliteration, where the line between survival and extinction is but a whisper.

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 20, 2023

About the author

Maxwell Alexander Drake is an award-winning Science Fiction/Fantasy author, Graphic Novelist, and Playwright. He was also the Lead Fiction Writer and game story consultant for Sony’s massive online game EverQuest Next as well as writing for the Shadowrun game. He is best known for his fantasy series, The Genesis of Oblivion Saga. Drake teaches creative writing at writers’ conferences and fan conventions all around the world and is the author of the Drake’s Brutal Writing Advice series.

He is currently developing an animated TVMA show called Fiend Folly. Find out more about this show at www.FiendFolly.com.

For more, please visit www.MaxwellAlexanderDrake.com, or his writing training website www.DrakeU.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @MaxwellADrake, Facebook /MaxwellAlexanderDrake, or Instagram /MaxwellAlexanderDrake.

Reviews

[Andres Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a big sci-fi fan however, this book was a step above the others in its genre that have already been traditionally published. Although the majority of the story was well paced and a bit predictable, there were two ah-ha moments that caught me in the last few chapters.

The majority of the book is very well descripted if you're into world building. The futuristic breaking down dystopian steam punk vibe is really nice as the characters navigate around this plane. There are a few words you may have to reference in the dictionary as the author has a well-educated vocabulary.

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At the beginning Lyron and Ghost really set the pace for me as a reader but when Ghost died, the entire story lost a speed. The banter and humor were removed, eliminating and element from storytelling that helps accelerate the reader towards the next chapter. Another element missing is romance. So, as good as the setting and story is, the propellants became innate and for me, it becomes laborious to read when these are missing.

The setting is fantastic. It closely reminds me of 'Maze Runner' and 'Annihilation' mixed together while the dramatic tension of 'Hunger Games' is building towards entering the arena. At first, it's just imaginative and interesting but later on in the final chapters when Red Bellied Hephaestus explains it to the reader, it's no longer weird and becomes more 'Avatar.'

Manitok's character was pretty run of the mill, standard, bad guy doing what he thinks is right. However, Buri's superpower was really cool. I never thought that a tailor or seamstress would be that amazing. It was different and I cannot be more appreciative of how the character continues to save the day with their ability.

I was disappointed with Myra. She comes off as intuitive and clever, but her involvement quickly dissipates where and especially when the moment hits, expecting her to be Lyron's key or influential support of some kind. Instead, she is simply satisfied that Lyron will come and speak to her later.

So, Myra expects Lyron to ease into this mission. Zakir trades places with the young man expecting it to be an easy mission, the team accepts Lyron also thinking it's going to be an easy mission and then, with all their advanced technology, no one can predict a storm coming. This is the only major flaw for me. "Zakir isn't wrong, not a bad mission for a rookie." Then everything falls apart. The spider has all their survival supplies, but the Merc teams runs off screaming against better judgement.  

For me, if Myra had a hotspot/ communication with Lyron, continually impressed by his courage and ability to survive along with the knowledge of the incoming storm. I think this would have been close to, if not a 5-star read. I like the seamstress and the world building that much. I appreciate the risk in writing something new. A breath of fresh imagination. Great read, my Jiren are looking forward to continuing the next book.

If you liked 'The Cruel Stars' by John Birmingham, you should read this book.

[zerogravitas · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is such a thing as too much showing, and it absolutely kills pacing. Showing EVERYTHING in the world in excruciating detail is not a virtue--much like replacing parts that should be inner voice with trivial action isn't showing instead of telling. Some telling and summary goes a long way to progressing the plot when after pages and pages and PAGES your action is still the same. The POV is also not anchored to the character but kinda disembodied, with the page giving what the character PROBABLY is observing (I guess) but almost no beats reconnecting the reader with the character. It's the sort of POV that THINKS it's deep POV but it's an undecided third limited, so it doesn't know what to pay attention to and how much attention is too much. Also the meat of the plot, i.e. what the characters are doing in each scene, is boring and mundane. The plot throughline is also belabored, the plot signposting is poor, and the focus is all over the place, which makes for zero microtension. You have to fight uphill to go to the next paragraph. I heard the author comparing his writing to Sanderson's. Ummm. No. Just no. The book itself is possibly like a 2* (it was okay) but I'm so bored and annoyed I don't feel generous. I should've realized by reading the first line that the author doesn't know how to hook or create intrigue about the plot. Or possibly I didn't get what this book is supposed to be about. Maybe it's a cozy that happens to be in a world that doesn't know if it's scifi, steampunk, or fantasy.

[Bryan Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a long-time fan of Drake and discovered Marie about a year ago through their joint podcast. Both authors came out swinging over the last nine months with Magicfall, Drake's new Son of the Empire, and Marie's second edition of her Sangwheel books.

This joint venture between both authors gives us a great new universe to explore and this book only scratches the surface. The dueling POVs are Buri, a down-on-her-luck magical baker, and Lyron, a spoiled rich boy who is out to make a name for himself in the city's political arena. Both are tasked with going to a hostile planet, fighting against other teams, and recovering a "nadi canister," an energy container salvaged from ancient tech. The authors' podcast, Releasing Your Inner Dragon gives you a unique behind the scenes look at how the novel came together.

Being under the gun with the 2023 San Diego Comic Con as their release event, the time constraint gave birth to a really tight, streamlined plot. The book is also illustrated at the start of about 1/5th of the chapters. I purchased a signed copy directly from their website, but I don't believe a signed edition is available anymore considering the authors live on opposite sides of the planet.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world this story is set in is extremely intriguing. I want to be there checking it out but also...I'd probably be one of the poor, sick, and dying. So I'm happy to live vicariously through the dual-POV characters provided.

This story is told from both social class extremes - the rich and careless vs the poor and desperate. The best part is, I immediately like both characters, flawed and interesting.

There is adventure, a bit of science fiction, unique plants and animals that I want to see with my own eyes, and a lot of intensity.

It's a great story, extremely well written, and I'm just sitting here waiting for Book 2.

[Marie Mullany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course this is a biased review, I am one of the authors and I think the story is fantastic. Magicfall is set in a dystopian world where humanity has lost much of their knowledge and clings to life in a high-tech world they no longer fully understand.
When a chance arises to fix some of the failing technology, Buri and Lyron are swept into a stream of events from the opposite side of the railway tracks and the adventure is on.
I really enjoyed writing this story and the collaboration with Drake was positively magical.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A real page turner! I quickly became completely immersed in the story and invested in the characters-love it and can’t wait for the next book in the series!