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Starbreaker #1
Without Bloodshed
"All who threaten me die."
These words made Morgan Stormrider's reputation as one of the Phoenix Society's deadliest IRD officers. He served with distinction as the Society's avenger, and specialized in hunting down anybody who dared kill an Adversary in the line of duty. After a decade spent living by the sword, Morgan wants to bid a farewell to arms and make a new life with his friends and his music.
Despite his faltering faith, the Phoenix Society has a final mission for Morgan Stormrider. A dictator's public accusations made Morgan a liability to his organization. He must put everything aside, make his way to Boston, and put down Alexander Liebenthal's coup while taking him alive to prove he is not the Society's assassin.
Despite the gravity of his task, Morgan cannot put aside his ex-girlfriend's murder, or efforts to frame him and his closest friends for the crime. He cannot ignore a request from a trusted friend to investigate the theft of designs for a weapon before which even gods stand defenseless. He cannot disregard the corruption implied in the Phoenix Society's willingness to make him a scapegoat should he fail to resolve the crisis in Boston without bloodshed.
However, the words with which he forged his reputation haunt him still.
These words made Morgan Stormrider's reputation as one of the Phoenix Society's deadliest IRD officers. He served with distinction as the Society's avenger, and specialized in hunting down anybody who dared kill an Adversary in the line of duty. After a decade spent living by the sword, Morgan wants to bid a farewell to arms and make a new life with his friends and his music.
Despite his faltering faith, the Phoenix Society has a final mission for Morgan Stormrider. A dictator's public accusations made Morgan a liability to his organization. He must put everything aside, make his way to Boston, and put down Alexander Liebenthal's coup while taking him alive to prove he is not the Society's assassin.
Despite the gravity of his task, Morgan cannot put aside his ex-girlfriend's murder, or efforts to frame him and his closest friends for the crime. He cannot ignore a request from a trusted friend to investigate the theft of designs for a weapon before which even gods stand defenseless. He cannot disregard the corruption implied in the Phoenix Society's willingness to make him a scapegoat should he fail to resolve the crisis in Boston without bloodshed.
However, the words with which he forged his reputation haunt him still.
296 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2013
12 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Graybosch
4 books31 followersAccording to official records maintained by the state of New York, Matthew Graybosch was born on Long Island in 1978.
Urban legends suggest he might be Rosemary’s Baby or the result of top-secret DOD attempts to continue Nazi experiments combining human technology and black magic. The most outlandish tale suggests that he sprang fully grown from his father’s forehead with a sledgehammer in one hand and the second edition of The C Programming Language in the other—and has been giving the poor man headaches ever since.
The truth is more prosaic. Matthew Graybosch is an author from New York who lives with his wife and cats in central Pennsylvania. He is also an avid reader, a long-haired metalhead, and an unrepentant nerd who plays too many video games.
His novels include Without Bloodshed and Silent Clarion, and he's working on Blackened Phoenix. He has also written several short stories, among them "The Milgram Battery", "Limited Liability", and "Tattoo Vampire".
His day job is software development, and we’re not sure how he remains sane. We could ask, but we suspect he’d say, “I’m not sane. I’m just high-functioning.”
Urban legends suggest he might be Rosemary’s Baby or the result of top-secret DOD attempts to continue Nazi experiments combining human technology and black magic. The most outlandish tale suggests that he sprang fully grown from his father’s forehead with a sledgehammer in one hand and the second edition of The C Programming Language in the other—and has been giving the poor man headaches ever since.
The truth is more prosaic. Matthew Graybosch is an author from New York who lives with his wife and cats in central Pennsylvania. He is also an avid reader, a long-haired metalhead, and an unrepentant nerd who plays too many video games.
His novels include Without Bloodshed and Silent Clarion, and he's working on Blackened Phoenix. He has also written several short stories, among them "The Milgram Battery", "Limited Liability", and "Tattoo Vampire".
His day job is software development, and we’re not sure how he remains sane. We could ask, but we suspect he’d say, “I’m not sane. I’m just high-functioning.”
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 13, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Speculative Fiction
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: fans of metal, scifi, fantastic worlds
Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, abuse of power, murder, violence, fighting
My Thoughts: First of all, I absolutely love the cover on this thing. It is just gorgeous. This is the first book in the Starbreakers series, and it was a terrific read. It is described at the Starbreakers series website as: “Androids unaware of their nature fight demons from outer space. It's totally metal.” If I had known that little bit going into the book I might have caught on to what was going on that much more quickly, but it is eventually revealed to the careful reader. Additional stories that can provide background can also be found and read online by starting at the Starbreakers series website story page.
I love the complexity of the characters in this book. None of them are one-dimensional, nothing is really ever quite what it seems, and every time I started to figure out what might be going on, a new twist or kink was thrown in and I was right back at ground zero. It was beautifully done to keep the reader engaged with the story rather than frustrated. I particularly was amused by some of Claire's random ejaculations and swearing, which I am unable to add into the review due to Terms of Service issues at some of the sites where I post them. I did post some updates including some of them on Goodreads, which were apparently amusing enough that one of my friends told me she'd picked up a copy of the book based on my updates on only the first 11 percent of the book.
The “metalness” of the stories is more obvious in the short stories available on the website, but it comes through a bit in this book, too. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, so if it sounds like your sort of thing, definitely check it out.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: "All who threaten me die."
These words made Morgan Stormrider's reputation as one of the Phoenix Society's deadliest IRD officers. He served with distinction as the Society's avenger, hunting down anybody who dared kill an Adversary in the line of duty. After a decade spent living by the sword, Morgan seeks to bid a farewell to arms and make a new life with his friends as a musician. Regardless of his faltering faith, the Phoenix Society has a final mission for Morgan Stormrider after a dictator's accusations make him a liability to the organization. He must put everything aside, travel to Boston, and prove he is not the Society's assassin. He must put down Alexander Liebenthal's coup while taking him alive.
Despite the gravity of his task, Morgan cannot put aside his ex-girlfriend's murder, or efforts to frame him and his closest friends for the crime. He cannot ignore a request from a trusted friend to investigate the theft of designs for a weapon before which even gods stand defenseless. He cannot disregard the corruption implied in the Phoenix Society's willingness to make him a scapegoat should he fail to resolve the crisis in Boston without bloodshed.
The words with which Morgan Stormrider forged his reputation haunt him still.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: fans of metal, scifi, fantastic worlds
Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, abuse of power, murder, violence, fighting
My Thoughts: First of all, I absolutely love the cover on this thing. It is just gorgeous. This is the first book in the Starbreakers series, and it was a terrific read. It is described at the Starbreakers series website as: “Androids unaware of their nature fight demons from outer space. It's totally metal.” If I had known that little bit going into the book I might have caught on to what was going on that much more quickly, but it is eventually revealed to the careful reader. Additional stories that can provide background can also be found and read online by starting at the Starbreakers series website story page.
I love the complexity of the characters in this book. None of them are one-dimensional, nothing is really ever quite what it seems, and every time I started to figure out what might be going on, a new twist or kink was thrown in and I was right back at ground zero. It was beautifully done to keep the reader engaged with the story rather than frustrated. I particularly was amused by some of Claire's random ejaculations and swearing, which I am unable to add into the review due to Terms of Service issues at some of the sites where I post them. I did post some updates including some of them on Goodreads, which were apparently amusing enough that one of my friends told me she'd picked up a copy of the book based on my updates on only the first 11 percent of the book.
The “metalness” of the stories is more obvious in the short stories available on the website, but it comes through a bit in this book, too. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, so if it sounds like your sort of thing, definitely check it out.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: "All who threaten me die."
These words made Morgan Stormrider's reputation as one of the Phoenix Society's deadliest IRD officers. He served with distinction as the Society's avenger, hunting down anybody who dared kill an Adversary in the line of duty. After a decade spent living by the sword, Morgan seeks to bid a farewell to arms and make a new life with his friends as a musician. Regardless of his faltering faith, the Phoenix Society has a final mission for Morgan Stormrider after a dictator's accusations make him a liability to the organization. He must put everything aside, travel to Boston, and prove he is not the Society's assassin. He must put down Alexander Liebenthal's coup while taking him alive.
Despite the gravity of his task, Morgan cannot put aside his ex-girlfriend's murder, or efforts to frame him and his closest friends for the crime. He cannot ignore a request from a trusted friend to investigate the theft of designs for a weapon before which even gods stand defenseless. He cannot disregard the corruption implied in the Phoenix Society's willingness to make him a scapegoat should he fail to resolve the crisis in Boston without bloodshed.
The words with which Morgan Stormrider forged his reputation haunt him still.
July 4, 2014
I would like to thank Curiosity Quills Press for giving me a copy of this e-book to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review. I personally give this book 3.5 stars, but as most rating systems require whole numbers only, I shall give it 3 stars on those sites.
Goodreads Blurb:
First and foremost, I must share just how much I love the book's Disclaimer. It is chock full of sarcasm, letting the reader know just what they are getting themselves into. In my opinion the odds of the book being well worth reading go up dramatically when the Disclaimer states, “If you find any allegory or applicability, please consult a qualified professional for psychiatric evaluation and treatment.”
As the first in a series, this book spent a fair bit of time setting up the story for the reader. Yet there was still a solid amount of action and emotion woven into the groundwork of the series. Though Morgan Stormrider is introduced as the central character, the main protagonist, yet the story certainly hasn't completely played out that way thus far. He is certainly central to the plot, it's simply that others are right there with him.
The character building is fairly tight, but given the number of characters I found it a bit challenging to keep track of them all. Unfortunately that problem remained all the way through to the end of the book for me, as I had to backtrack some pages to place a character referred to in the final pages. However if there aren't too many new characters introduced in the sequel I think it will be pretty easy to keep track of everyone and their relationships - as we understand them now. Of the current characters, for the most part they grow before our eyes, gaining depth and maturity as the story unfolds. There are some who remain cloaked in mystery, but the one who remains the most mysterious is the main antagonist. But even this character drops a bomb or two on the readers, one of which lands almost at the very end. The new information caused enough of a stir for me that I have begun to rethink their role as the antagonist.
Set in a world that seems similar to ours, but about 100 years into the future, it appears to have reverted to more closely resemble the old caste system. Everyone has some sort of niche, all of which answer to a higher authority, with the highest for the average citizen being the Phoenix Society. Those within the Phoenix Society answer to the Executive Council, an almost entirely anonymous group of people. A group of people with no contrasting power to keep them in check. We already know what happens in systems lacking true checks and balances, so it seems easy to see where this is heading. . .
Though it took me a little while to get into the story, once I reached that point I was there for good. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but once I got a feel for a few of the main characters and became invested in them I wasn't going anywhere. One thing I really liked, even though I'm still confused about the designation of some characters, was the use of Artificial Intelligence systems (AIs). It seemed all the characters had their own AIs to do all kinds of things for them; anything from ordering food or clothes, to running interference to allow the person they served some privacy. However there may have been some that did not use AIs, for reasons I'm hesitant to even guess at just now. I'll admit I found it interesting how Mr. Graybosch seems to have discovered a way around the ever present fear of AIs outgrowing humans and taking over the world.
The plot is solid, and the arc of the story was smooth and consistently engaging - once my attention had been caught that is. Aside from the sensation of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters, I enjoyed this book. I'm curious as to where this story will go from here, especially after reading the author's Acknowledgements at the end of the book. He referenced certain things that have left me planning what else to pay attention to in the future books of the series.
Goodreads Blurb:
"All who threaten me die."
These words made Morgan Stormrider's reputation as one of the Phoenix Society's deadliest IRD officers. He served with distinction as the Society's avenger, and specialized in hunting down anybody who dared kill an Adversary in the line of duty. After a decade spent living by the sword, Morgan wants to bid a farewell to arms and make a new life with his friends and his music.
Despite his faltering faith, the Phoenix Society has a final mission for Morgan Stormrider. A dictator's public accusations made Morgan a liability to his organization. He must put everything aside, make his way to Boston, and put down Alexander Liebenthal's coup while taking him alive to prove he is not the Society's assassin.
Despite the gravity of his task, Morgan cannot put aside his ex-girlfriend's murder, or efforts to frame him and his closest friends for the crime. He cannot ignore a request from a trusted friend to investigate the theft of designs for a weapon before which even gods stand defenseless. He cannot disregard the corruption implied in the Phoenix Society's willingness to make him a scapegoat should he fail to resolve the crisis in Boston without bloodshed.
However, the words with which he forged his reputation haunt him still.
First and foremost, I must share just how much I love the book's Disclaimer. It is chock full of sarcasm, letting the reader know just what they are getting themselves into. In my opinion the odds of the book being well worth reading go up dramatically when the Disclaimer states, “If you find any allegory or applicability, please consult a qualified professional for psychiatric evaluation and treatment.”
As the first in a series, this book spent a fair bit of time setting up the story for the reader. Yet there was still a solid amount of action and emotion woven into the groundwork of the series. Though Morgan Stormrider is introduced as the central character, the main protagonist, yet the story certainly hasn't completely played out that way thus far. He is certainly central to the plot, it's simply that others are right there with him.
The character building is fairly tight, but given the number of characters I found it a bit challenging to keep track of them all. Unfortunately that problem remained all the way through to the end of the book for me, as I had to backtrack some pages to place a character referred to in the final pages. However if there aren't too many new characters introduced in the sequel I think it will be pretty easy to keep track of everyone and their relationships - as we understand them now. Of the current characters, for the most part they grow before our eyes, gaining depth and maturity as the story unfolds. There are some who remain cloaked in mystery, but the one who remains the most mysterious is the main antagonist. But even this character drops a bomb or two on the readers, one of which lands almost at the very end. The new information caused enough of a stir for me that I have begun to rethink their role as the antagonist.
Set in a world that seems similar to ours, but about 100 years into the future, it appears to have reverted to more closely resemble the old caste system. Everyone has some sort of niche, all of which answer to a higher authority, with the highest for the average citizen being the Phoenix Society. Those within the Phoenix Society answer to the Executive Council, an almost entirely anonymous group of people. A group of people with no contrasting power to keep them in check. We already know what happens in systems lacking true checks and balances, so it seems easy to see where this is heading. . .
Though it took me a little while to get into the story, once I reached that point I was there for good. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but once I got a feel for a few of the main characters and became invested in them I wasn't going anywhere. One thing I really liked, even though I'm still confused about the designation of some characters, was the use of Artificial Intelligence systems (AIs). It seemed all the characters had their own AIs to do all kinds of things for them; anything from ordering food or clothes, to running interference to allow the person they served some privacy. However there may have been some that did not use AIs, for reasons I'm hesitant to even guess at just now. I'll admit I found it interesting how Mr. Graybosch seems to have discovered a way around the ever present fear of AIs outgrowing humans and taking over the world.
The plot is solid, and the arc of the story was smooth and consistently engaging - once my attention had been caught that is. Aside from the sensation of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters, I enjoyed this book. I'm curious as to where this story will go from here, especially after reading the author's Acknowledgements at the end of the book. He referenced certain things that have left me planning what else to pay attention to in the future books of the series.
January 14, 2015
You know, initially I liked this book and I must admit that it's better than much of Stephen King that I've read, Dean Koontz and Joe Hill. However, it edges a bit close to mainstream tastes and cliches for my own liking. It suffers from a lack of world-building, an overidentification with cats, and not enough backstory. This makes it lack the depth I wish it had, however it did suceed in making me suspend disbelief.
For example, I have no idea what the world is like post-Nationfall. Graybosch never bothered to explain this and there are many unanswered questions such as Who is Imaginos? What is the deal with the Executive Council? Who the heck are Amellech, Astoreth and Thagiron? What are asura simulators vs. devas? What the heck is up with CPMD other than to let the author express his liking of cats?
Back to something good. The author managed to make me look up several words/terms/concepts in wikipedia and dictionary.com while reading. This is good, this means the author challenges the reader. I urge him to keep doing this to stretch the reader a little bit.
I found the attempt at trying to mimic humanity lacking. The character building was poorly done. I hate the cardboard cutouts of Naomi and Morgan. And also the oversexualization of women in this novel. There's this myth that women control men through sex and several women such as astoreth, claire and Thagirion (I can't spell her name) do this, as if their only power lies in what they can give men. There were also several times that women in the book conceded power to men, such as when Naomi was fighting against Thistlewood and Morgan ex deus machina style came to save her at the nick of time, and also when Thagirion was fighting Imaginos…and conceded to his power and then submitted to him sexually. Also the author falls into the trap of only being able to describe women in sexual terms, such as Thagirion's milky white back and her cascading hair. Does he do that with the men? No, so it's clearly meant to sexualize women. Is it necessary? No. It's sometimes funny how sexism works subtlely in works of fiction, perhaps even unawares to the authors themselves.
The author comes close to the complex political manuvering of G.R.R. Martin's Westeros, but doesn't quite hit the mark. This is a shame really because there is a lot of political maneuvering, hidden motives and actions going on behind the curtains so it could become like this, but not unless more worldbuilding, research and character building (to emphasize individuation between characters) is done.
Another strength of the author's is that he is skilled at sex scenes. he accurately employs the senses of the readers.
Overall I remain unsure of whether I would like to read the prequel to this novel or the sequel. The novel seemed to hover too close to cliches for my liking, and yet the storyline is very interesting. I may pick up another book of his. We'll see.
In anycase Graybosch deserves to be more well known despite his faults because he is much better than other popular novelists I've read. I'd give him a chance if I were you despite my gripes and reservations. The elements held within this novel are original and fresh. It's the kind of book that'll leave you thinking long after you've closed it. And me? Well, I just think I'm a picky eater when it comes to books myself. So, give it a chance and then make your mind up for yourself.
For example, I have no idea what the world is like post-Nationfall. Graybosch never bothered to explain this and there are many unanswered questions such as Who is Imaginos? What is the deal with the Executive Council? Who the heck are Amellech, Astoreth and Thagiron? What are asura simulators vs. devas? What the heck is up with CPMD other than to let the author express his liking of cats?
Back to something good. The author managed to make me look up several words/terms/concepts in wikipedia and dictionary.com while reading. This is good, this means the author challenges the reader. I urge him to keep doing this to stretch the reader a little bit.
I found the attempt at trying to mimic humanity lacking. The character building was poorly done. I hate the cardboard cutouts of Naomi and Morgan. And also the oversexualization of women in this novel. There's this myth that women control men through sex and several women such as astoreth, claire and Thagirion (I can't spell her name) do this, as if their only power lies in what they can give men. There were also several times that women in the book conceded power to men, such as when Naomi was fighting against Thistlewood and Morgan ex deus machina style came to save her at the nick of time, and also when Thagirion was fighting Imaginos…and conceded to his power and then submitted to him sexually. Also the author falls into the trap of only being able to describe women in sexual terms, such as Thagirion's milky white back and her cascading hair. Does he do that with the men? No, so it's clearly meant to sexualize women. Is it necessary? No. It's sometimes funny how sexism works subtlely in works of fiction, perhaps even unawares to the authors themselves.
The author comes close to the complex political manuvering of G.R.R. Martin's Westeros, but doesn't quite hit the mark. This is a shame really because there is a lot of political maneuvering, hidden motives and actions going on behind the curtains so it could become like this, but not unless more worldbuilding, research and character building (to emphasize individuation between characters) is done.
Another strength of the author's is that he is skilled at sex scenes. he accurately employs the senses of the readers.
Overall I remain unsure of whether I would like to read the prequel to this novel or the sequel. The novel seemed to hover too close to cliches for my liking, and yet the storyline is very interesting. I may pick up another book of his. We'll see.
In anycase Graybosch deserves to be more well known despite his faults because he is much better than other popular novelists I've read. I'd give him a chance if I were you despite my gripes and reservations. The elements held within this novel are original and fresh. It's the kind of book that'll leave you thinking long after you've closed it. And me? Well, I just think I'm a picky eater when it comes to books myself. So, give it a chance and then make your mind up for yourself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2014
Get ready to have your mind bent!
Is this genre-shredding tale about technology? Or magic? Maybe it's a rockumentary or fan-fic for Moto Mag or even Guns and Ammo. I read the whole thing and have no idea. But "Without Bloodshed" is fun, smart, and will make you think.
After reading it, I can't even say it's truly dystopian, because I've come to believe that this tale reveals so much of the author's personal vision for an ideal anarcho-atheistic alternate future. Sure, governments and religions across the world have fallen, ending traditions that went back millenia; but naturally, Al-Jazeera is still with us! And some of the old gods- devised in the spitting image of what Arthur C. Clarke said about magic and technology- have spent all that time alongside various flavorings of the human race that have emerged, evolved, or been built in recent years. It's a murder mystery, a conspiracy, a police thriller, and probably seven or eight other plot-lines at the same time. Just brace yourself, that's my advice.
There were some things that rubbed me the wrong way, of course. I can't sign on to some of the values Mr. Graybosch espouses- at times with a paper-thin cover of words- but I cheerfully admit, his worldview is thought-provoking and consistent. If I had to pick one theme for "Without Bloodshed" I would say it's all about proper behavior. The heroes don't need outside authorities to tell them how to control their anger, persevere in the face of conspiracy, maintain loyalty to friends or sacrifice in the service of those less powerful. The appropriate manner is constantly on display- restraint in the face of tension, even-handed tolerance of gender, sexual orientation and semi-race. At times I think the author stays on his soapbox too long- there's not much about Morgan Stormrider's actual deeds that either King Arthur or Leonidas would quibble with, despite or because of all the outside authority they yielded to.
My biggest problem with the story was grammatical, but not in the way you'd think (the book is very clean and well-edited, and the font is gorgeous). But in telling the tale, we read of private chat/texts, off-camera narration and personal thoughts all in italics. That format-choice can't bear the weight of all that's put on it, so I had to constantly stop and check back to see which was meant, and whose mind I was in.
In a more technical vein, I think Graybosch chooses some odd moments for exposition. When the pariah ronin faces down against the degraded biker gang, and everyone's been lied to, nothing could be more clear than that folks are about to die in numbers. Why, then, would this be the best time to hear about the specific brand of the biker's hogs, why their manufacture made them poor sellers and how difficult they might be to fix? But after all my whining I had to shut up, because I couldn't tell without Googling whether this was an existing cycle or not.
Point being- Mr. Graybosch knows his stuff- about weapons, advanced tech, politics and personal morality. He's wound them together in a fun epic tale, with great stakes and imagery. And it will definitely make you think.
Is this genre-shredding tale about technology? Or magic? Maybe it's a rockumentary or fan-fic for Moto Mag or even Guns and Ammo. I read the whole thing and have no idea. But "Without Bloodshed" is fun, smart, and will make you think.
After reading it, I can't even say it's truly dystopian, because I've come to believe that this tale reveals so much of the author's personal vision for an ideal anarcho-atheistic alternate future. Sure, governments and religions across the world have fallen, ending traditions that went back millenia; but naturally, Al-Jazeera is still with us! And some of the old gods- devised in the spitting image of what Arthur C. Clarke said about magic and technology- have spent all that time alongside various flavorings of the human race that have emerged, evolved, or been built in recent years. It's a murder mystery, a conspiracy, a police thriller, and probably seven or eight other plot-lines at the same time. Just brace yourself, that's my advice.
There were some things that rubbed me the wrong way, of course. I can't sign on to some of the values Mr. Graybosch espouses- at times with a paper-thin cover of words- but I cheerfully admit, his worldview is thought-provoking and consistent. If I had to pick one theme for "Without Bloodshed" I would say it's all about proper behavior. The heroes don't need outside authorities to tell them how to control their anger, persevere in the face of conspiracy, maintain loyalty to friends or sacrifice in the service of those less powerful. The appropriate manner is constantly on display- restraint in the face of tension, even-handed tolerance of gender, sexual orientation and semi-race. At times I think the author stays on his soapbox too long- there's not much about Morgan Stormrider's actual deeds that either King Arthur or Leonidas would quibble with, despite or because of all the outside authority they yielded to.
My biggest problem with the story was grammatical, but not in the way you'd think (the book is very clean and well-edited, and the font is gorgeous). But in telling the tale, we read of private chat/texts, off-camera narration and personal thoughts all in italics. That format-choice can't bear the weight of all that's put on it, so I had to constantly stop and check back to see which was meant, and whose mind I was in.
In a more technical vein, I think Graybosch chooses some odd moments for exposition. When the pariah ronin faces down against the degraded biker gang, and everyone's been lied to, nothing could be more clear than that folks are about to die in numbers. Why, then, would this be the best time to hear about the specific brand of the biker's hogs, why their manufacture made them poor sellers and how difficult they might be to fix? But after all my whining I had to shut up, because I couldn't tell without Googling whether this was an existing cycle or not.
Point being- Mr. Graybosch knows his stuff- about weapons, advanced tech, politics and personal morality. He's wound them together in a fun epic tale, with great stakes and imagery. And it will definitely make you think.
June 19, 2014
Matthew Graybosch's science fantasy is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it to anyone. The pace is quick, it's full of intrigue, the plot is complex, and Claire might just be my favourite female character of all time. I'm not sure if I should characterize her as a major minor character, or a minor major character, because the cast is quite large. There are a lot of heads you'll be in throughout the course of the story, and that can get a little confusing at points. It's interesting seeing what everyone's thinking/doing, but I think some of them might have been better left cut out to further increase tension for the reader (I found Chapter 1 killed what could have been a great surprise at the end). Furthermore, several characters go by more than one name, and they aren't simple names. I'm still not sure I can tease apart all the characters.
The one thing that made the reading experience strange was all the references to movies/music from previous decades, considering this story takes place in the 2100's. At first I thought perhaps it was a character or two who had a weird fixation with the distant past, but as more and more characters appeared to have knowledge of our own past (but apparently not our present), it felt more and more strange. Why would people have knowledge of an obscure bit of metal history, yet there is no mention of more modern day musicians? Perhaps because, ultimately, the repetitive nature of our current music industry is forgettable. Another thought hit me, and that was perhaps more modern movements were lost in Nationfall. But I couldn't come up with a reasonable answer for why that would have happened. In the end, the question remains. How many people in our current decade have a working memory of art from 100 years ago? Very few, I'd wager. Perhaps this will be answered in future books, or maybe not.
Either way, I eagerly await the next book for the masterful way Matthew Graybosch weaves the lives and plots of the characters together.
The one thing that made the reading experience strange was all the references to movies/music from previous decades, considering this story takes place in the 2100's. At first I thought perhaps it was a character or two who had a weird fixation with the distant past, but as more and more characters appeared to have knowledge of our own past (but apparently not our present), it felt more and more strange. Why would people have knowledge of an obscure bit of metal history, yet there is no mention of more modern day musicians? Perhaps because, ultimately, the repetitive nature of our current music industry is forgettable. Another thought hit me, and that was perhaps more modern movements were lost in Nationfall. But I couldn't come up with a reasonable answer for why that would have happened. In the end, the question remains. How many people in our current decade have a working memory of art from 100 years ago? Very few, I'd wager. Perhaps this will be answered in future books, or maybe not.
Either way, I eagerly await the next book for the masterful way Matthew Graybosch weaves the lives and plots of the characters together.
October 19, 2014
Reads like an Anime story. Pretty good, but probably won't read any more of the series, even though the ending was wide open on this one. Maybe I'm just not as obsessed with cats like the rest of the internet.
September 21, 2018
I first got attracted to this book thanks to teasers on Google+ by Matthew Graybosch. Here is the review, writtein in 2013, and being uploaded here now.
In this first book in the Starbreaker series, we get to know that nations have fallen worldwide. Communities now police their own. Governments and officials are held to account by the Phoenix Society, which enforces justice by its 'Adversaries'. These are trained people, and the only ones who can bring the corrupt to justice. Theirs is a tough job: they are either right or dead. Yup, they get executed if they prosecute the innocent. Morgan Stormrider is the Adversary of choice sent in to execute anyone who kills an Adversary.
We come into the story when someone with almost supernatural powers decides to frame Naomi Bradleigh for a murder she did not do, in order to enrage Morgan and test him to breaking point. In the meantime, in America, a gun-runner, Alexander Liebenthal and his bunch of bikers takes over Boston in a coup, and his bodyguard kills three combat-trained Adversaries. In Japan, Nakajima Chihiro, the owner of the company that makes the Adversaries' weapons, including katanas and guns, tries to reassure Morgan about the weapons he has, since it seems that the ex-Adversary Munakata Tetsuo has mysteriously survived a shot to the head. And Morgan's boss Karen del Rio is like every boss from Hell you've ever known. Liebenthal insists that the Phoenix Society is corrupt and uses the Adversaries to cut down dissenters. Morgan is tasked to take him down without killing him, to prove him wrong. Or is he, really?
More people with supernatural powers turn up. We find that several Adversaries and others are actually clones--Asura emulators created by one of the supernaturals. There are devas, too, including the daughter of Imaginos. Anyone who knows Persian or Indian myth will recognise these terms. I'm still not sure at the end of book one whether the devas or the asuras, or both, are the good guys. Matthew Graybosch will probably sell several books to me by the time my curiosity is quenched. :)
In the meantime, cryptic conversations and a slow leak of information build the suspense, leavened liberally with action sequences, betrayal, honour, technology indistinguishable from magic, and other page-turning stuff. Some of the stuff that will keep me up at night includes why Morgan and Naomi were running a band called Crowley's Thoth, what the ends of Imaginos are, why congenital pseudofeline morphological disorder appeared among humans, how many of the people around are humans at all, and why on earth Imaginos is so cavalier about his daughter's well-being himself while visiting death on those who harm a single hair on her head. Who is this Imaginos guy anyway, and who is this Sabaoth he strives against, and how come their enmity is older than the pyramids? And I already want Witness Protocol and Tesla points in real life, though suborbital flights I can probably do without.
Yeah, you get the bug too, don't you? Read and find out for yourself.
In this first book in the Starbreaker series, we get to know that nations have fallen worldwide. Communities now police their own. Governments and officials are held to account by the Phoenix Society, which enforces justice by its 'Adversaries'. These are trained people, and the only ones who can bring the corrupt to justice. Theirs is a tough job: they are either right or dead. Yup, they get executed if they prosecute the innocent. Morgan Stormrider is the Adversary of choice sent in to execute anyone who kills an Adversary.
We come into the story when someone with almost supernatural powers decides to frame Naomi Bradleigh for a murder she did not do, in order to enrage Morgan and test him to breaking point. In the meantime, in America, a gun-runner, Alexander Liebenthal and his bunch of bikers takes over Boston in a coup, and his bodyguard kills three combat-trained Adversaries. In Japan, Nakajima Chihiro, the owner of the company that makes the Adversaries' weapons, including katanas and guns, tries to reassure Morgan about the weapons he has, since it seems that the ex-Adversary Munakata Tetsuo has mysteriously survived a shot to the head. And Morgan's boss Karen del Rio is like every boss from Hell you've ever known. Liebenthal insists that the Phoenix Society is corrupt and uses the Adversaries to cut down dissenters. Morgan is tasked to take him down without killing him, to prove him wrong. Or is he, really?
More people with supernatural powers turn up. We find that several Adversaries and others are actually clones--Asura emulators created by one of the supernaturals. There are devas, too, including the daughter of Imaginos. Anyone who knows Persian or Indian myth will recognise these terms. I'm still not sure at the end of book one whether the devas or the asuras, or both, are the good guys. Matthew Graybosch will probably sell several books to me by the time my curiosity is quenched. :)
In the meantime, cryptic conversations and a slow leak of information build the suspense, leavened liberally with action sequences, betrayal, honour, technology indistinguishable from magic, and other page-turning stuff. Some of the stuff that will keep me up at night includes why Morgan and Naomi were running a band called Crowley's Thoth, what the ends of Imaginos are, why congenital pseudofeline morphological disorder appeared among humans, how many of the people around are humans at all, and why on earth Imaginos is so cavalier about his daughter's well-being himself while visiting death on those who harm a single hair on her head. Who is this Imaginos guy anyway, and who is this Sabaoth he strives against, and how come their enmity is older than the pyramids? And I already want Witness Protocol and Tesla points in real life, though suborbital flights I can probably do without.
Yeah, you get the bug too, don't you? Read and find out for yourself.
February 17, 2018
3.5 stars
Two simple statements tell you everything you need to know about this book:
I had no idea what was going on half the time - and I didn't care that I didn't.
This book throws you into the middle of a story without ever really explaining the world or the characters - which is great for an immersive experience, but it was to such an extent that I actually went onto Goodreads to see if I had accidentally picked up the second book in a series instead of the first. I would have liked some more explanation for some of the things that were happening (for example, from the beginning the term Asura Emulator is used to describe... some people (?) (though the term is used so vaguely it could be the software used in the implants that allow people to communicate with each other, an ethnic identity, or a host of other meanings) and this term isn't explained until 2/3rds of the way through the book and then when it is explained the explanation is unsatisfactory because it seems to be describing something revolutionary and yet no one seems to care about this thing that seems like it's a Big Deal so then I wasn't sure if it actually was a big deal; another example is Nationfall - the reader is given to understand that there was some kind of global event that destroyed all the governments of the world but what exactly this event was is never explained; characters all kept talking about Nationfall and "before and after" Nationfall but that was the extent of the explanation). In addition, several of the character go by two or three pseudonyms (on top of an already large cast of characters) so that it becomes difficult to keep track of who is who. This is all compounded by a complex world that combines sentient androids (including what might possibly be Blade Runner-style androids who don't know they are androids), AIs that emulate people (even having human looking avatars and personalities) (and which might just be emulating emotions but may also have actual emotions), people who appear to wield magic but might actually be aliens (and not just aliens but aliens fighting a war (possibly a civil war)), a "distributed republic" (a country with no physical presence/an entirely virtual country), an Illuminat-esque cabal with a hidden agenda, and a Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry-style cop who also plays in a punk rock band. Which is to say this book stands in a category all by itself. Intrigued yet? You should be! The book does end on a cliffhanger/the story isn't wrapped up in this one volume, so the reader does need to get the next book to find out the entire story.
Two simple statements tell you everything you need to know about this book:
I had no idea what was going on half the time - and I didn't care that I didn't.
This book throws you into the middle of a story without ever really explaining the world or the characters - which is great for an immersive experience, but it was to such an extent that I actually went onto Goodreads to see if I had accidentally picked up the second book in a series instead of the first. I would have liked some more explanation for some of the things that were happening (for example, from the beginning the term Asura Emulator is used to describe... some people (?) (though the term is used so vaguely it could be the software used in the implants that allow people to communicate with each other, an ethnic identity, or a host of other meanings) and this term isn't explained until 2/3rds of the way through the book and then when it is explained the explanation is unsatisfactory because it seems to be describing something revolutionary and yet no one seems to care about this thing that seems like it's a Big Deal so then I wasn't sure if it actually was a big deal; another example is Nationfall - the reader is given to understand that there was some kind of global event that destroyed all the governments of the world but what exactly this event was is never explained; characters all kept talking about Nationfall and "before and after" Nationfall but that was the extent of the explanation). In addition, several of the character go by two or three pseudonyms (on top of an already large cast of characters) so that it becomes difficult to keep track of who is who. This is all compounded by a complex world that combines sentient androids (including what might possibly be Blade Runner-style androids who don't know they are androids), AIs that emulate people (even having human looking avatars and personalities) (and which might just be emulating emotions but may also have actual emotions), people who appear to wield magic but might actually be aliens (and not just aliens but aliens fighting a war (possibly a civil war)), a "distributed republic" (a country with no physical presence/an entirely virtual country), an Illuminat-esque cabal with a hidden agenda, and a Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry-style cop who also plays in a punk rock band. Which is to say this book stands in a category all by itself. Intrigued yet? You should be! The book does end on a cliffhanger/the story isn't wrapped up in this one volume, so the reader does need to get the next book to find out the entire story.
February 8, 2015
The latest book in my #GreatIndieReviewProject series is Without Bloodshed by Matthew Graybosch, a science fantasy story which mixes libertarian idealism with heavy metal, violence and a healthy dose of sex.
One of the things that independent published allows authors isa freedom to step outside traditional genre limits or push them in different directions. That's certainly something that the author of Without Bloodshed Matthew Graybosch has taken advantage of.
Don't worry, you'll find most of the staple ingredients here too but this book has an agenda of sorts that sets it apart from the herd.
Science Fantasy For An Adult Audience
This is not a book intended for children. And I don't say that simply because of the amount of sexual content. It is present certainly at times somewhat explicit, but not unreasonably so given the story being told.
It's more that the subject matter, while carefully bookended by action sequences, rests heavily on politics and social constructs. There's a lot of intrigue going on here. At times, so much that I rather lost track of who was triple-crossing who. There's also a fair amount of people standing around discussing principles and worrying about morals. These are fairly adult concepts and interests.
It's also in the presentation. The book requires concentration to read, particularly in the early chapters. There is so much information to be processed that it's easy to get lost in it. And then there is the large cast.
Characters, Characters Everywhere
I think it's safe to say that Morgan Stormrider (the author does actually take a moment to justify that rather extravagant name) and Naomi Bradleigh broadly represent the authors values (as displayed in an idealized action environment) and they are both quite appealing protagonists.
At times I did think that Morgan in particular comes across as just a bit too perfect. He has made mistakes, but they are in the past and in this story he always seems to know what the right way to behave is. I sort of want him to do something selfish occasionally.
Once we move away from the primary characters though things got a little more confused for me. For a start, the story has a large cast due to its level of politics and intrigue. But to make matters worse, quite a few of these characters go by two or more names. At several points during the story I had to stop and try and figure out who exactly was talking about who. Obviously anything that pulls me back out of the story is a bad thing, so I think it's an area where the story could have benefited with a bit more work to better differentiate the players.
Fortunately once I had got myself past the half way mark most of the characters had sufficiently imprinted themselves on my brain that the confusion lessened. I think my perseverance was rewarded, but you can't assume all readers will be as patient as I was. Which would be a shame because by the end there are plenty of hooks in place for the larger plot and it's obvious the scale of the story is intended to grow even further.
The characters themselves are for the most part quite distinct, it's more the volume and names that create the confusion, although there is one glaring exception in a character who is so forcefully one-dimensional in her bitchiness I sort of wonder what is going on with her.
Displaying Your Influences
Every author has their influences and it's usually not to hard to pick out what they are. While the book itself is unquestionably of the science fantasy, the style of the book shows several other influences.
I am not a huge fan of either rock or heavy metal music so most likely I am missing a good number of references in Without Bloodshed, but even I can pick up on the fact that it is a significant influence on the book. I also strongly suspect a significant anime influence based on both the culture presented and some of the descriptions used.
The third major influence in the book is a Libertarian one. Society and many of the characters espouse libertarian values and it's not hard to see that we are expected to see those as the "good" values. As a writer you have to be very careful not to step over that line from character expression to authorial expression. There are a few places where maybe the soapbox got pulled out but for the most part it is kept in check.
World Building
While the politicking and intrigues are undoubtedly a strong element in the book, the world building is more of a mixed bag.
On the one hand the Graybosch clearly spent time thinking out his world, how it functions and what it's technical level would be, but on the other we really aren't exposed to this world very much.
So we get a lot of very specific information about sidewalk heating or the use of Tesla points to power things but we don't ever get the viewpoint of a regular person in this new world.
Clearly Nationfall radically altered the political structure of the world. The story doesn't go into detail on this, which is fine, but the implication is that all the geo-political governments collapsed and we are now dealing with some sort of semi-anarchical city-state structure. But I never got a good feeling for what that meant. I would think there would have been some pretty nasty fall out along the way.
Morgan and Naomi are so insulated from the real world due to their twin jobs as music stars and Adversaries that they never really interact with regular people. They are too rich and too important.
Admittedly this is also often the case in fantasy stories where our protagonist is a king or prince, but in that case we sort of know what the average peasant's life is like. Here I genuinely have no idea.
We get some brief infodumps about biker gangs and some sort of proto-libertarian anarchical free-state made up from Anonymous and the Pirate Party (not a completely absurd notion) but again, what does it actually mean to live like that? I think in this case having at least one viewpoint character
Who Should Read This?
Do you like rock and or heavy metal music?
Do you appreciated some fantasy in your science fiction?
Are stories better with a healthy dose of political intrigue?
Are you okay with some sexuality in your reading material?
If some or most of these apply to you then you should give this one a shot.
Did You Like It?
Yes, overall I enjoyed reading Without Bloodshed. There are areas where I think the storytelling could be tightened up and early on confusion is definitely an issue, but the book is trying to do more than just tell an action story. The politics and the social views the characters present are intended to illustrate and exemplify as well as entertain. Plus the anime and heavy metal infused setting is quite distinctive.
I don't think there's anything else quite like this on the market.
One of the things that independent published allows authors isa freedom to step outside traditional genre limits or push them in different directions. That's certainly something that the author of Without Bloodshed Matthew Graybosch has taken advantage of.
Don't worry, you'll find most of the staple ingredients here too but this book has an agenda of sorts that sets it apart from the herd.
Science Fantasy For An Adult Audience
This is not a book intended for children. And I don't say that simply because of the amount of sexual content. It is present certainly at times somewhat explicit, but not unreasonably so given the story being told.
It's more that the subject matter, while carefully bookended by action sequences, rests heavily on politics and social constructs. There's a lot of intrigue going on here. At times, so much that I rather lost track of who was triple-crossing who. There's also a fair amount of people standing around discussing principles and worrying about morals. These are fairly adult concepts and interests.
It's also in the presentation. The book requires concentration to read, particularly in the early chapters. There is so much information to be processed that it's easy to get lost in it. And then there is the large cast.
Characters, Characters Everywhere
I think it's safe to say that Morgan Stormrider (the author does actually take a moment to justify that rather extravagant name) and Naomi Bradleigh broadly represent the authors values (as displayed in an idealized action environment) and they are both quite appealing protagonists.
At times I did think that Morgan in particular comes across as just a bit too perfect. He has made mistakes, but they are in the past and in this story he always seems to know what the right way to behave is. I sort of want him to do something selfish occasionally.
Once we move away from the primary characters though things got a little more confused for me. For a start, the story has a large cast due to its level of politics and intrigue. But to make matters worse, quite a few of these characters go by two or more names. At several points during the story I had to stop and try and figure out who exactly was talking about who. Obviously anything that pulls me back out of the story is a bad thing, so I think it's an area where the story could have benefited with a bit more work to better differentiate the players.
Fortunately once I had got myself past the half way mark most of the characters had sufficiently imprinted themselves on my brain that the confusion lessened. I think my perseverance was rewarded, but you can't assume all readers will be as patient as I was. Which would be a shame because by the end there are plenty of hooks in place for the larger plot and it's obvious the scale of the story is intended to grow even further.
The characters themselves are for the most part quite distinct, it's more the volume and names that create the confusion, although there is one glaring exception in a character who is so forcefully one-dimensional in her bitchiness I sort of wonder what is going on with her.
Displaying Your Influences
Every author has their influences and it's usually not to hard to pick out what they are. While the book itself is unquestionably of the science fantasy, the style of the book shows several other influences.
I am not a huge fan of either rock or heavy metal music so most likely I am missing a good number of references in Without Bloodshed, but even I can pick up on the fact that it is a significant influence on the book. I also strongly suspect a significant anime influence based on both the culture presented and some of the descriptions used.
The third major influence in the book is a Libertarian one. Society and many of the characters espouse libertarian values and it's not hard to see that we are expected to see those as the "good" values. As a writer you have to be very careful not to step over that line from character expression to authorial expression. There are a few places where maybe the soapbox got pulled out but for the most part it is kept in check.
World Building
While the politicking and intrigues are undoubtedly a strong element in the book, the world building is more of a mixed bag.
On the one hand the Graybosch clearly spent time thinking out his world, how it functions and what it's technical level would be, but on the other we really aren't exposed to this world very much.
So we get a lot of very specific information about sidewalk heating or the use of Tesla points to power things but we don't ever get the viewpoint of a regular person in this new world.
Clearly Nationfall radically altered the political structure of the world. The story doesn't go into detail on this, which is fine, but the implication is that all the geo-political governments collapsed and we are now dealing with some sort of semi-anarchical city-state structure. But I never got a good feeling for what that meant. I would think there would have been some pretty nasty fall out along the way.
Morgan and Naomi are so insulated from the real world due to their twin jobs as music stars and Adversaries that they never really interact with regular people. They are too rich and too important.
Admittedly this is also often the case in fantasy stories where our protagonist is a king or prince, but in that case we sort of know what the average peasant's life is like. Here I genuinely have no idea.
We get some brief infodumps about biker gangs and some sort of proto-libertarian anarchical free-state made up from Anonymous and the Pirate Party (not a completely absurd notion) but again, what does it actually mean to live like that? I think in this case having at least one viewpoint character
Who Should Read This?
Do you like rock and or heavy metal music?
Do you appreciated some fantasy in your science fiction?
Are stories better with a healthy dose of political intrigue?
Are you okay with some sexuality in your reading material?
If some or most of these apply to you then you should give this one a shot.
Did You Like It?
Yes, overall I enjoyed reading Without Bloodshed. There are areas where I think the storytelling could be tightened up and early on confusion is definitely an issue, but the book is trying to do more than just tell an action story. The politics and the social views the characters present are intended to illustrate and exemplify as well as entertain. Plus the anime and heavy metal infused setting is quite distinctive.
I don't think there's anything else quite like this on the market.
December 13, 2013
Graybosch has skilfully merged aspects of rock music, science-fiction, and ancient conspiracies, from both the West and the East, producing a novel which will be enjoyed by both lovers of classic techno-thrillers and animé fans.
After the partial collapse of society, the Phoenix Society arose to hold the new governments of the world to a code of morals. Morgan Stormrider has served the Society loyally for over a decade, dealing out a clean death to any who raise arms against the Society’s operatives. Tired of moving from place to place, seeing the worst of humanity, he wishes to retire. But first he must complete one last mission: bring in a newly-established dictator in alive, proving he is more than an assassin paid by a brutal cabal to suppress dissent. But when he is framed for his ex-girlfriend’s murder, he is forced to question whether the accusations are true.
Graybosch has created a distinctive world which combines the luxuries of a post-capitalist society with hints of the wreckage of social collapse beneath. The history, both recorded and secret, is carefully embedded, creating a balance between leaving the reader struggling to understand the world and wondering why characters have suddenly broken into detailed exposition of famous events.
The unfolding of conspiracies within conspiracies is similarly handled, giving the reader a sense that events that are not immediately clear are a plausible reaction to secret plots that will be revealed later.
Morgan Stormrider is a well-rounded character, possessing both a complex personality and a life outside of the Phoenix Society; he still believes that killing is a legitimate part of a just society, but now longs for a stable relationship with the woman he loves. This makes his struggle to clear his name a complex tale of personal growth, rather than a simple rehashing of a gunslinger’s Road to Damascus.
The other characters also lead rich lives outside of both Morgan’s quest and the subsidiary plots, creating a real sense events are part of a greater whole.
However, it is this rich other life which also potentially creates the greatest obstacle to some readers: while they might be unsurprising in animé, international police assassins who are also rock-stars are not a common trope in Western science-fiction. However, the dual roles exist within a framework of mature dichotomy rather than the shallow farce of children’s morning television, so a reader who gave up at that point would be doing both themselves and the book a disservice.
Although the novel is strong enough to invite rereading on the plot and characterisation alone, Graybosch has seeded occasional nods to progressive rock and other classics of music and literature. Some will leap out at readers familiar with his influences, others hide behind engaging plot, and some might be coincidence, opening the possibility of subsequent readings merging the hunting of the Easter Bunny with that of the Snark.
Overall I enjoyed this greatly. I recommend it to readers who do not despise the fusion of cultures and styles.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for a fair review.
After the partial collapse of society, the Phoenix Society arose to hold the new governments of the world to a code of morals. Morgan Stormrider has served the Society loyally for over a decade, dealing out a clean death to any who raise arms against the Society’s operatives. Tired of moving from place to place, seeing the worst of humanity, he wishes to retire. But first he must complete one last mission: bring in a newly-established dictator in alive, proving he is more than an assassin paid by a brutal cabal to suppress dissent. But when he is framed for his ex-girlfriend’s murder, he is forced to question whether the accusations are true.
Graybosch has created a distinctive world which combines the luxuries of a post-capitalist society with hints of the wreckage of social collapse beneath. The history, both recorded and secret, is carefully embedded, creating a balance between leaving the reader struggling to understand the world and wondering why characters have suddenly broken into detailed exposition of famous events.
The unfolding of conspiracies within conspiracies is similarly handled, giving the reader a sense that events that are not immediately clear are a plausible reaction to secret plots that will be revealed later.
Morgan Stormrider is a well-rounded character, possessing both a complex personality and a life outside of the Phoenix Society; he still believes that killing is a legitimate part of a just society, but now longs for a stable relationship with the woman he loves. This makes his struggle to clear his name a complex tale of personal growth, rather than a simple rehashing of a gunslinger’s Road to Damascus.
The other characters also lead rich lives outside of both Morgan’s quest and the subsidiary plots, creating a real sense events are part of a greater whole.
However, it is this rich other life which also potentially creates the greatest obstacle to some readers: while they might be unsurprising in animé, international police assassins who are also rock-stars are not a common trope in Western science-fiction. However, the dual roles exist within a framework of mature dichotomy rather than the shallow farce of children’s morning television, so a reader who gave up at that point would be doing both themselves and the book a disservice.
Although the novel is strong enough to invite rereading on the plot and characterisation alone, Graybosch has seeded occasional nods to progressive rock and other classics of music and literature. Some will leap out at readers familiar with his influences, others hide behind engaging plot, and some might be coincidence, opening the possibility of subsequent readings merging the hunting of the Easter Bunny with that of the Snark.
Overall I enjoyed this greatly. I recommend it to readers who do not despise the fusion of cultures and styles.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for a fair review.
August 12, 2025
2.5 Stars. It is hard for me to review this book as I am torn between some parts which I really liked, and others which I simply hated. I blame myself in part because it would have been easy for me to research and know beforehand what I was getting myself into. I am just not interested in some of the big themes in this book.
What I loved: Graybosch has some excellent concepts which he presents exceedingly well. Time dilation, in particular, was done really well. The mood of the book was excellent. It has a very dark feel to it. It seemed to me like every scene took place at night. It felt like I was reading a spin-off of the Dark Knight – which was cool. The action sequences are great, though, at times, very short. I think the author has done himself a disservice by spending so much time on dialogue and not enough time on action.
What I didn’t like: Too many characters – I just had no idea who everyone was. Characters were introduced suddenly and presented as if we should know exactly who they are. Because of this, I felt like I was reading fan-fiction where I am supposed to already know who these people are. Additionally, the characters were flat. They did not stand out from the page for me. I could not tell the difference between Naomi or Sarah or Elisabeth Bathory or Chihiro or Manakuta or Eddie. As well, half the characters were artificial intelligence, and yet I could not keep track of who was real and who as not. Perhaps I am just not omniscient enough. Also, the worldbuilding of the future setting missed the mark; it is supposed to be ~100 years in the future, but it feels like 2005.
What I hated: Cringe-worthy sexuality – I literally skipped these parts as they did not add to the plot at all and was an unnecessary indulgence. Cat-related nonsense – did not add to the plot and it detracted from the mood of the book. I would have replaced cat-features with something original. Heavy metal references – did not add anything to the book. Crowley’s Thoth was referenced many times throughout and was ultimately irrelevant and indulgent.
In the end, I cannot give this book a high rating because I just can’t tell you exactly what happened. The first chapter was excellent and was the reason I chose to read this. Then, the first 50% of the book was downright confusing. At about the 75% mark it became really good and I didn’t want to put the book down (even though I still didn’t know exactly what was happening), and then with 5% to go it returned to confusing, leading up to a last-page plot twist which lacked believability. Lastly, I don’t know what this Starbreaker is. And I never understood exactly what is an ‘Adversary’. Did I miss something? I don’t think it was ever explained!
Regardless of my complaints, I did find this an intriguing read and would like to read the sequel – when it’s out.
Who do I recommend this for? If you like Japanese anime with outrageous swords, superhero comics, and organised-crime dramas, then this is for you! Also: a love of cats would help. Did I mention I don’t like cats? I don’t, at all. But if you do, then you might find Morgan Stormrider to be infinitely intriguing.
What I loved: Graybosch has some excellent concepts which he presents exceedingly well. Time dilation, in particular, was done really well. The mood of the book was excellent. It has a very dark feel to it. It seemed to me like every scene took place at night. It felt like I was reading a spin-off of the Dark Knight – which was cool. The action sequences are great, though, at times, very short. I think the author has done himself a disservice by spending so much time on dialogue and not enough time on action.
What I didn’t like: Too many characters – I just had no idea who everyone was. Characters were introduced suddenly and presented as if we should know exactly who they are. Because of this, I felt like I was reading fan-fiction where I am supposed to already know who these people are. Additionally, the characters were flat. They did not stand out from the page for me. I could not tell the difference between Naomi or Sarah or Elisabeth Bathory or Chihiro or Manakuta or Eddie. As well, half the characters were artificial intelligence, and yet I could not keep track of who was real and who as not. Perhaps I am just not omniscient enough. Also, the worldbuilding of the future setting missed the mark; it is supposed to be ~100 years in the future, but it feels like 2005.
What I hated: Cringe-worthy sexuality – I literally skipped these parts as they did not add to the plot at all and was an unnecessary indulgence. Cat-related nonsense – did not add to the plot and it detracted from the mood of the book. I would have replaced cat-features with something original. Heavy metal references – did not add anything to the book. Crowley’s Thoth was referenced many times throughout and was ultimately irrelevant and indulgent.
In the end, I cannot give this book a high rating because I just can’t tell you exactly what happened. The first chapter was excellent and was the reason I chose to read this. Then, the first 50% of the book was downright confusing. At about the 75% mark it became really good and I didn’t want to put the book down (even though I still didn’t know exactly what was happening), and then with 5% to go it returned to confusing, leading up to a last-page plot twist which lacked believability. Lastly, I don’t know what this Starbreaker is. And I never understood exactly what is an ‘Adversary’. Did I miss something? I don’t think it was ever explained!
Regardless of my complaints, I did find this an intriguing read and would like to read the sequel – when it’s out.
Who do I recommend this for? If you like Japanese anime with outrageous swords, superhero comics, and organised-crime dramas, then this is for you! Also: a love of cats would help. Did I mention I don’t like cats? I don’t, at all. But if you do, then you might find Morgan Stormrider to be infinitely intriguing.
April 18, 2016
In the future, nations have fallen. Independent city states and confederacies dot the North American landscape, supported by the Phoenix Society, an organization dedicated to protect the rights of individuals.
Mysterious people manipulate and marshal their forces. A drug runner has taken control of Boston, backed by armed bike gangs. In the middle of it all, Morgan Stormrider is trying hard to hang on to his ideals, and his faith in the society.
This book was interesting in a lot of ways. The actors behind the scenes, their abilities and histories are all heavily influenced by ancient Vedic, Kabbalistic and Gnostic religious teachings. It's woven deftly through the narrative, there to be seen but not called out.
The story itself is engaging. The choice to put Stormrider, an enforcer, into a position where he must succeed with at little violence as possible amplifies the tension. The choice to show us what the actors behind the scenes are up to keeps the story rolling when the mundane details might have bogged down. The inclusion of several characters whose motivations and moral stance are murky at best was also refreshing. The romantic subplot, while never really in doubt and thus not really a source of conflict, was sweet and sincere and a nice palate cleanser.
The two major downfalls as I see them are this:
1. Past perfect. The author chose not to use the past perfect tense, which causes some confusion in a few places, and makes the text read awkwardly in others. With the entire story in the past tense, it wasn't always immediately clear when events being described were further in the past.
2. Pop culture references. This is definitely a subjective thing, but I always have a hard time believing that people in the future (2112 in this case - I see what you did there) would commonly reference 20th century culture. Maybe it would be more well known than our current familiarity with the 19th century, due to digital archiving and the like. But the number of people quoting Monty Python or Queensrych would still be very small. They'll have been replaced with other cultural touchstones by then. This caused several serious cases of eye rolling and lack of immersion. I find this to be a common problem with indie books set in the relatively near future.
All in all, it was a good read, with enjoyable characters, a tight plot, and great world building. I'll definitely be getting the series.
Mysterious people manipulate and marshal their forces. A drug runner has taken control of Boston, backed by armed bike gangs. In the middle of it all, Morgan Stormrider is trying hard to hang on to his ideals, and his faith in the society.
This book was interesting in a lot of ways. The actors behind the scenes, their abilities and histories are all heavily influenced by ancient Vedic, Kabbalistic and Gnostic religious teachings. It's woven deftly through the narrative, there to be seen but not called out.
The story itself is engaging. The choice to put Stormrider, an enforcer, into a position where he must succeed with at little violence as possible amplifies the tension. The choice to show us what the actors behind the scenes are up to keeps the story rolling when the mundane details might have bogged down. The inclusion of several characters whose motivations and moral stance are murky at best was also refreshing. The romantic subplot, while never really in doubt and thus not really a source of conflict, was sweet and sincere and a nice palate cleanser.
The two major downfalls as I see them are this:
1. Past perfect. The author chose not to use the past perfect tense, which causes some confusion in a few places, and makes the text read awkwardly in others. With the entire story in the past tense, it wasn't always immediately clear when events being described were further in the past.
2. Pop culture references. This is definitely a subjective thing, but I always have a hard time believing that people in the future (2112 in this case - I see what you did there) would commonly reference 20th century culture. Maybe it would be more well known than our current familiarity with the 19th century, due to digital archiving and the like. But the number of people quoting Monty Python or Queensrych would still be very small. They'll have been replaced with other cultural touchstones by then. This caused several serious cases of eye rolling and lack of immersion. I find this to be a common problem with indie books set in the relatively near future.
All in all, it was a good read, with enjoyable characters, a tight plot, and great world building. I'll definitely be getting the series.
January 11, 2014
I read the last sentence of this book with a chuckle and then a grin. In fact, the entire book was like that: a great puzzling series of mysteries and intrigues involving amusingly sardonic characters.
The main character is Morgan Stormrider, bad-ass extraordinaire. When his girlfriend gets murdered and his bandmate thrown in prison for it, he has to navigate a series of elusive enemies and friends in order to find out what happened. Morgan's story unfolds through the viewpoints of a large ensemble of characters, from power-hungry goddess type characters to hardcore police chiefs.
The world-building in this story is great. The science fiction elements were both believable and interesting for a future world. The fantasy elements blended quite well. In a way, the book reminded me of the great Greek myths: strange, overseeing gods and goddesses who manipulate the hero into doing their bidding (some of them even share the names of the gods and goddesses, which is a fun bonus).
Another reviewer mentioned Easter Eggs. This book is full of them. I'm sure I missed 75%, but still felt smart about the others I got. If nothing else, this is a great adventure story for geeks and metalheads. It blends elements of sci-fi, mythology, fantasy, video games, and music into a mystery/adventure/romance. Added bonus: the women in this book are actually women, and there are several of them in various positions of power. These are smart women, and one of the most bad-ass female lead characters I've ever seen. Graybosch gets bonus points from me for making that happen.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that I was often bogged down with the sheer number of characters and the constant shifting of viewpoints. I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters, but kept pace with the 5 or 6 main ones. I think the story could have been a little tighter if some of them had been combined. Otherwise, this is a fun read.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Graybosch is one of my favorite authors to follow on Google+. That did not change the way I chose my rating, and I can honestly say this book fits well with other 4-star books I've reviewed.
The main character is Morgan Stormrider, bad-ass extraordinaire. When his girlfriend gets murdered and his bandmate thrown in prison for it, he has to navigate a series of elusive enemies and friends in order to find out what happened. Morgan's story unfolds through the viewpoints of a large ensemble of characters, from power-hungry goddess type characters to hardcore police chiefs.
The world-building in this story is great. The science fiction elements were both believable and interesting for a future world. The fantasy elements blended quite well. In a way, the book reminded me of the great Greek myths: strange, overseeing gods and goddesses who manipulate the hero into doing their bidding (some of them even share the names of the gods and goddesses, which is a fun bonus).
Another reviewer mentioned Easter Eggs. This book is full of them. I'm sure I missed 75%, but still felt smart about the others I got. If nothing else, this is a great adventure story for geeks and metalheads. It blends elements of sci-fi, mythology, fantasy, video games, and music into a mystery/adventure/romance. Added bonus: the women in this book are actually women, and there are several of them in various positions of power. These are smart women, and one of the most bad-ass female lead characters I've ever seen. Graybosch gets bonus points from me for making that happen.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that I was often bogged down with the sheer number of characters and the constant shifting of viewpoints. I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters, but kept pace with the 5 or 6 main ones. I think the story could have been a little tighter if some of them had been combined. Otherwise, this is a fun read.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Graybosch is one of my favorite authors to follow on Google+. That did not change the way I chose my rating, and I can honestly say this book fits well with other 4-star books I've reviewed.
December 6, 2013
This first book in the Starbreaker series is also Matthew Graybosch's first published. I'm quite happy there's a promise of more to come.
Morgan Stormrider is a Adversary (warrior) for the Phoenix Group, which is a quasi-legal private army of stone-cold badasses whose job is to uphold individual rights. This seems like a great idea, but Morgan is discovering he's actually a killing machine unleashed by the XC (executive committee of Phoenix) to get rid of those who may get in the way of the hidden agenda. I'm sure we'll learn more about this in the future books, but for now imagine the daevas (or devas) of Indian/Middle-eastern mythology manipulating the human population for their own nefarious purposes.
A few other things of note. Morgan and Naomi (Morgan's lady friend) are CPMD (congenital pseudofeline morphological disorder) which make them fast healing, strong, agile, and just all together better than your standard human. But is this a natural mutation? Or is it something the daevas have created to further their interests? Okay, it's something other, but read the book if you want to know what.
A special treat for me are the many easter eggs included for the reader. I'm sure I didn't pick up on all of them, but sufficient numbers to get a kick out of watching for them. Just a hint. Watch for references to Snow Crash, Monty Python, War Games, Star Wars, Fatal Attraction and many others.
What else to say? The writing is good with few errors. The main characters, Morgan and Naomi, are likable, superhuman, but flawed enough to allow the reader to empathize with them. I'm still a bit baffled by the battle between the daevas running Phoenix, but I think the next book will continue to uncover the motives and methods of the devious gods. And more importantly, can Morgan Stormrider be a worthy Adversary? I suspect he will.
This is a nicely original and unique science fiction novel with plenty enough to leave the reader eagerly awaiting the next in the series. Congratulations to Matthew Graybosch on a very strong first outing. I don't need to wish him success because I'm sure he will succeed on the strength of his imagination and skill at bringing it to life.
Morgan Stormrider is a Adversary (warrior) for the Phoenix Group, which is a quasi-legal private army of stone-cold badasses whose job is to uphold individual rights. This seems like a great idea, but Morgan is discovering he's actually a killing machine unleashed by the XC (executive committee of Phoenix) to get rid of those who may get in the way of the hidden agenda. I'm sure we'll learn more about this in the future books, but for now imagine the daevas (or devas) of Indian/Middle-eastern mythology manipulating the human population for their own nefarious purposes.
A few other things of note. Morgan and Naomi (Morgan's lady friend) are CPMD (congenital pseudofeline morphological disorder) which make them fast healing, strong, agile, and just all together better than your standard human. But is this a natural mutation? Or is it something the daevas have created to further their interests? Okay, it's something other, but read the book if you want to know what.
A special treat for me are the many easter eggs included for the reader. I'm sure I didn't pick up on all of them, but sufficient numbers to get a kick out of watching for them. Just a hint. Watch for references to Snow Crash, Monty Python, War Games, Star Wars, Fatal Attraction and many others.
What else to say? The writing is good with few errors. The main characters, Morgan and Naomi, are likable, superhuman, but flawed enough to allow the reader to empathize with them. I'm still a bit baffled by the battle between the daevas running Phoenix, but I think the next book will continue to uncover the motives and methods of the devious gods. And more importantly, can Morgan Stormrider be a worthy Adversary? I suspect he will.
This is a nicely original and unique science fiction novel with plenty enough to leave the reader eagerly awaiting the next in the series. Congratulations to Matthew Graybosch on a very strong first outing. I don't need to wish him success because I'm sure he will succeed on the strength of his imagination and skill at bringing it to life.
July 3, 2015
Without Bloodshed is an engrossing tale of intrigue, honor, loyalty, and love set in an Earth different from our own only in the existence of powerful enigmatic immortals. These beings influence events among mortals beyond the awareness of humanity, an aeons-old war against ancient ‘gods.’ The political events and satirical take on human nature could very well happen in reality in not-so-many years.
Known for being the deadly hand of the untouchable Phoenix Society, Morgan Stormrider has a reputation for being lethal. As a member of an organization responsible for upholding what remains of law in a world rebuilding itself in the wake of governmental collapse, he wields absolute authority - but at a heavy price.
His latest assignment requires him to bring his target in alive, a tactic he is not often wont to employ. Someone knows this, and has chosen him because of it. This task is further complicated as the line between ally and adversary blurs, while foes in high places hope for his downfall.
Matthew Graybosh has created a richly detailed world filled with intricate characters caught up in a psychological chess game with deadly consequences. Sprinkled with liberal references to the heavy metal that inspired his world, Without Bloodshed is a must-read for any fans of music in the vein of Blue Oyster Cult and Queensrÿche, among others. His characters are believable and complex, the conspiracy deep, and the setting meticulous. It is obvious that he spent great time and effort crafting both story and setting, effort that shines through in his writing.
Anyone fond of metal, video games, technology, science fiction, or anime should add Without Bloodshed to their collection.
Known for being the deadly hand of the untouchable Phoenix Society, Morgan Stormrider has a reputation for being lethal. As a member of an organization responsible for upholding what remains of law in a world rebuilding itself in the wake of governmental collapse, he wields absolute authority - but at a heavy price.
His latest assignment requires him to bring his target in alive, a tactic he is not often wont to employ. Someone knows this, and has chosen him because of it. This task is further complicated as the line between ally and adversary blurs, while foes in high places hope for his downfall.
Matthew Graybosh has created a richly detailed world filled with intricate characters caught up in a psychological chess game with deadly consequences. Sprinkled with liberal references to the heavy metal that inspired his world, Without Bloodshed is a must-read for any fans of music in the vein of Blue Oyster Cult and Queensrÿche, among others. His characters are believable and complex, the conspiracy deep, and the setting meticulous. It is obvious that he spent great time and effort crafting both story and setting, effort that shines through in his writing.
Anyone fond of metal, video games, technology, science fiction, or anime should add Without Bloodshed to their collection.
September 28, 2014
We at The Review Hart would like to disclose that we received this book for free in return for an honest review
The keyword for this Science Fantasy is ‘more’. That is both good and something of a hindrance. The large cast is well put together with interesting and gritty characters of both genders. The plot is also packed with conflict and many layers of subplots. The problem came with the high level of detail that Graybosch used. Detail is a fantastic tool for bringing the world to life, but Graybosch was in the habit of not giving the reader enough credit. He often stated things that could have been left to the reader to discern and understand on their own. This then created a couple of places where it dragged due to the large cast and detail overload. The range of viewpoints could have been streamlined without harming the plot, but the fact remains that this is a great book that the author should be proud of.
Full review available here
The keyword for this Science Fantasy is ‘more’. That is both good and something of a hindrance. The large cast is well put together with interesting and gritty characters of both genders. The plot is also packed with conflict and many layers of subplots. The problem came with the high level of detail that Graybosch used. Detail is a fantastic tool for bringing the world to life, but Graybosch was in the habit of not giving the reader enough credit. He often stated things that could have been left to the reader to discern and understand on their own. This then created a couple of places where it dragged due to the large cast and detail overload. The range of viewpoints could have been streamlined without harming the plot, but the fact remains that this is a great book that the author should be proud of.
Full review available here
July 2, 2014
The first of a series, Graybosch's Without Bloodshed introduces a cast of super-powered enforcers licensed to kill by what emerges as a snakepit of upper ups emeshed in a latticework of intrigues. The protagonist, Morgan Stormrider, is a hunky killing machine with a homey domestic side. Cat lovers will enjoy both the actual feline pets and the cat-DNA aspect of Stormrider and fellow adversary Naomi. While it is a little hard to keep up with all the baddies blotting in the background, the friendships and romance sweep along consistently. The story is seasoned with Dickensian characters in supporting roles. I was particularly fond of the motorcycle gangs like the Fire Clowns. Oh, and there's a rock theme throughout, underpinned by Stormrider and love interests beloning to a band. The surprise ending is a set up for more to come. As the series is called Starbreaker one presumes the scope of cleaning up a city or two, in the first book, will be leaping to the astronomical.
August 5, 2016
Wonderful world building and blending that keeps readers engaged and wanting to learn more. The characters, while superhuman, are also flawed and well fleshed out making them easy to like and connect with. The plot is interesting with unique flavor and fast paced. It's a difficult book to put down once you start reading it. Very well written with only a few minor flaws. I'd recommend this to anyone who has ever enjoyed a sci-fi book. A free copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest unbiased review. Read more reviews, author interviews and enter giveaways on my blog.
January 21, 2014
2.5 Stars
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for fair review
Short version: A science-fiction thriller where the enjoyable thriller is dragged down by science-fiction elements that never quite feel like they belong in the near-futuristic Earth that is clearly modeled from events in the present. This book would have benefited with a little more world building to give the reader a better idea of what we're dealing with.
Read my full review here: http://gildedlady.wordpress.com/2014/...
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for fair review
Short version: A science-fiction thriller where the enjoyable thriller is dragged down by science-fiction elements that never quite feel like they belong in the near-futuristic Earth that is clearly modeled from events in the present. This book would have benefited with a little more world building to give the reader a better idea of what we're dealing with.
Read my full review here: http://gildedlady.wordpress.com/2014/...
February 3, 2015
Pretty good read - it oscillates between cyberpunk and fantasy. It has cat people - but they aren't quite the overdone trope.
Also, a decent romantic subplot and plenty of sword fights.
There's also some libertarian propaganda in there - it's clear the author likes the idea of a world without governments, or at least a world where people only sign up for government if they want to. It's also clear he knows corruption might get in the way of that dream.
A decently fun read. Good characters and I have a weakness for genre-bending and cyberpunk.
Also, a decent romantic subplot and plenty of sword fights.
There's also some libertarian propaganda in there - it's clear the author likes the idea of a world without governments, or at least a world where people only sign up for government if they want to. It's also clear he knows corruption might get in the way of that dream.
A decently fun read. Good characters and I have a weakness for genre-bending and cyberpunk.
January 21, 2014
I LOVED this novel. The only complaint I can muster is that it isn't also a TV show (perhaps an anime?), because the read and watch value would be amazing. If you like things like samuri swords, futuristic genetic development, or sassy yet tech-savvy female, this is just the beginning of a love affair with Graybosch. In a word, described by the author himself, it's totally "metal".
August 7, 2014
Wow. That was such a good book. Smart, funny, irreverent, incredibly complex with a great cast of characters that keeps you on your toes. I really enjoyed reading this first novel and anxiously await the next.
Want to read
July 14, 20147/14/14 Digital Book Day Free Download (Amazon) - http://www.digitalbookday.com/
May 31, 2015
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
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