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Bring Down Heaven #1
The City Stained Red
A long-exiled living god arises.
A city begins to break apart at the seams.
Lenk and his battle-scarred companions have come to Cier'Djaal in search of Miron Evanhands, a wealthy priest who contracted them to eradicate demons --- and then vanished before paying for the job.
But hunting Miron down might be tougher than even these weary adventurers can handle as two unstoppable religious armies move towards all-out war, tensions rise within the capital's cultural melting pot, and demons begin to pour from the shadows...
And Khoth Kapira, the long-banished living god, has seen his chance to return and regain dominion over the world.
Now all that prevents the city from tearing itself apart in carnage are Lenk, Kataria, a savage human-hating warrior, Denaos, a dangerous rogue, Asper, a healer priestess, Dreadaeleon, a young wizard, and Gariath, one of the last of the dragonmen.
A city begins to break apart at the seams.
Lenk and his battle-scarred companions have come to Cier'Djaal in search of Miron Evanhands, a wealthy priest who contracted them to eradicate demons --- and then vanished before paying for the job.
But hunting Miron down might be tougher than even these weary adventurers can handle as two unstoppable religious armies move towards all-out war, tensions rise within the capital's cultural melting pot, and demons begin to pour from the shadows...
And Khoth Kapira, the long-banished living god, has seen his chance to return and regain dominion over the world.
Now all that prevents the city from tearing itself apart in carnage are Lenk, Kataria, a savage human-hating warrior, Denaos, a dangerous rogue, Asper, a healer priestess, Dreadaeleon, a young wizard, and Gariath, one of the last of the dragonmen.
628 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2014
446 people are currently reading
6105 people want to read
About the author
Sam Sykes
90 books1,215 followersSam Sykes is the author of Tome Of The Undergates, a vast and sprawling story of adventure, demons, madness and carnage. Suspected by many to be at least tangentially related to most causes of human suffering, Sam Sykes is also a force to be reckoned with beyond literature.
At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy. Tome Of The Undergates is his first book, published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Holland, and Canada. He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.
At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy. Tome Of The Undergates is his first book, published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Holland, and Canada. He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 354 reviews
August 29, 2014
I read this book as an Advance Reading Copy. I promise that I never review books that I have not read.
When I first began reading SF and fantasy, back in the Dark Ages when I was a mere slip of a girl, one of the things I most loved about the genre was that often the tales simply engulfed the reader from page one, with no explanation of where one was or what mores to expect. I loved that sensation of sudden immersion and knowing that I knew nothing but had to trust the author to reveal as the tale unfolded.
City Stained Red does exactly that. From the very first page, I found myself frantically swimming in a very exotic environment, accompanied by some of the most reckless protagonists I've ever shared a point-of-view with. I swiftly learned that most of my assumptions about who they were and what they were up to were wrong.
And that is the best book stuff ever!
This novel has an episodic feel to it. The point of view changes chapter by chapter, and with every encounter, I found that my opinion as to who the character was subtly shifted as histories, connections and motives are gradually unveiled. Not all of the characters are human, and the logic and reactions of the non-human characters are fittingly alien.
There is obviously more to come to this tale, but this satisfyingly chunky book has enough story arc to make me feel as if this first leg of the journey was well worth taking.
Recommended, especially to readers who like to commit to a big story.
When I first began reading SF and fantasy, back in the Dark Ages when I was a mere slip of a girl, one of the things I most loved about the genre was that often the tales simply engulfed the reader from page one, with no explanation of where one was or what mores to expect. I loved that sensation of sudden immersion and knowing that I knew nothing but had to trust the author to reveal as the tale unfolded.
City Stained Red does exactly that. From the very first page, I found myself frantically swimming in a very exotic environment, accompanied by some of the most reckless protagonists I've ever shared a point-of-view with. I swiftly learned that most of my assumptions about who they were and what they were up to were wrong.
And that is the best book stuff ever!
This novel has an episodic feel to it. The point of view changes chapter by chapter, and with every encounter, I found that my opinion as to who the character was subtly shifted as histories, connections and motives are gradually unveiled. Not all of the characters are human, and the logic and reactions of the non-human characters are fittingly alien.
There is obviously more to come to this tale, but this satisfyingly chunky book has enough story arc to make me feel as if this first leg of the journey was well worth taking.
Recommended, especially to readers who like to commit to a big story.
June 18, 2018
Lenk and his crew were hired to fight for a priest named Miron Evenhands. When the time comes for them to collect their pay, Miron vanishes. In their attempt to find the priest and get their money, Lenk and his crew encounter more than they bargained for.
The City Stained Red literally revolves around Lenk's crew not getting paid. While not getting paid for your work would be devastating for a normal person it seems far too dull a reason for the characters to wade into conflict. When the fighting begins and the dying follows it seems like the right time for the crew to cut their losses, but they simply double down.
In the books defense I didn't know that the Aeons' Gate trilogy revolved around Lenk and his crew. If I knew that I would have never attempted to read The City Stained Red first. There is so much backstory and world building that the reader should already know. The characters clearly have history with one another and picking up from this book is an inadequate way to get to know them.
The City Stained Red really couldn't keep my attention, but perhaps I'll try it again after reading the Aeons' Gate trilogy.
The City Stained Red literally revolves around Lenk's crew not getting paid. While not getting paid for your work would be devastating for a normal person it seems far too dull a reason for the characters to wade into conflict. When the fighting begins and the dying follows it seems like the right time for the crew to cut their losses, but they simply double down.
In the books defense I didn't know that the Aeons' Gate trilogy revolved around Lenk and his crew. If I knew that I would have never attempted to read The City Stained Red first. There is so much backstory and world building that the reader should already know. The characters clearly have history with one another and picking up from this book is an inadequate way to get to know them.
The City Stained Red really couldn't keep my attention, but perhaps I'll try it again after reading the Aeons' Gate trilogy.
May 11, 2015
If you’ve read Tome of the Undergates you will know roughly what to expect when you pick up a book by Sam Sykes. You take a step away from today’s ‘gritty’ fantasy, that type of fantasy that looks to be ‘like real life, but different’ – i.e. low magic, a couple of beasts that aren’t too far removed from creatures that did indeed exist, and fantasy-upped storylines based on historical occurrences. Where you find yourself is somewhere closer to the fantasy novels of the 1980s/1990s, with character and monster designs seemingly plucked from Dragonlance, Dungeons and Dragons, and the many video games of the time that had you start out your adventure by picking Warrior, Rogue, Cleric or Mage.
Sam is certainly aware of this though. He draws upon the fantasy he read growing up and twists it in a way that it is recognisable, but results in the characters being inevitably broken. For example, he takes the sweet cleric trope and gives her an arm with seemingly demonic powers; he takes the wise wizard and makes him both volatile and not all that old, wise or reliable; he takes the warrior and gives him mental instability and intelligence; and the rogue he just makes a pain in the arse – both to the reader (because you never know what he is up to) and to the other characters too (for similar reasons). Oh, and there’s a Dragonman and feline-like warrior woman.
With all that said, The City Stained Red does take a step closer to the type of Fantasy on today’s bookshelves. Sam’s characters leave the Dragonlance-esque world we followed them through in the previous trilogy and find themselves in a city far more reminiscent of the kind you’d find in a George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie novel. My presumption is that Sam Sykes or his Editors thought that writing something more mass-market (which this 100% is) would be a good idea, but, as it’s by Sam Sykes, if you were to read 10 books from the gritty / grey shelves this would stand out like a sore thumb – and that’s a good thing.
Onto the plot, The City Stained Red kicks off just after the events of The Skybound Sea (although you certainly don’t need to have read the first trilogy to enjoy this title). Lenk is on a boat and has decided that after completing an insanely difficult quest that nearly saw him and all his companions killed that he has had enough. He wants out of life as an Adventurer. He wants to be ‘normal’. However, there’s a slight problem with that in that Lenk isn’t really good at anything except being an Adventurer and that means he’ll need money if he is to retire and walk away into the sunset. The good news is that the completion of the aforementioned quest made him rich; the bad news is that he was left with an I.O.U rather than hard currency. And you can’t spend I.O.U. notes, can you? As a result, if Lenk wants to retire, he needs to track down the elusive debtor and get his money. The problem is that said debtor has buried himself deep within trading city of Cier’Djaal – somewhere Lenk and Co are far from welcome.
After an absolutely brilliant entrance into Cier’Djaal, that will introduce new readers of Sykes work to exactly what he is all about – the chaos really starts. Cier’Djaal is a rich city where giant spiders make fine silks and is seemingly rather peaceful. However, those profiting from the silks will soon find that they’ve become too content with the way things are and beneath the surface there are a number of factions interested in taking a step up the food chain; pretty much making the city a ticking time bomb. The power play is going to be made by dark, dangerous and mysterious forces and those within the city are going to wish they were far away. We’re talking assassins and unholy users of magic here. Despite Lenk’s desire to keep away from the troubles going on around them, he can’t leave unless he can track down the priest who owes him money and it seems that every sighting of him results in Lenk needing to dig deeper and deeper into the inevitable Cier’Djaal conflict.
I’ve focused on Lenk because his narrative is the easiest to discuss without giving too many spoilers, but as with all of Sam’s novels we get to experience multiple POVs throughout The City Stained Red. Each one continues on from the previous and each gives us a glimpse at different corners and levels of the city. This is incredibly well done, because initially we have little clue as to who the players are in the coming conflict or the reasons it is arising. To list the plot threads you will get to enjoy:
*Lenks struggle to find his funds and whether to retire.
*Kataria’s confusion over Lenk and discovery of her own people
*Denaos’s secret past and its connection to current events
*What Asper’s secret actually is and the dark forces it connects her to
*Dreadaleon’s desire to save and protect a woman he falls for
*Gariath’s struggle with being an outcast and discovery of a new foe
The fact that Sam has so many POVs and so many stories to tell is probably why this book is such a monster – it stands at 640 pages). When I first picked up the book I must admit feeling a little overwhelmed, but can honestly say it felt like reading a novella at times. Because each story and character’s POV is so different it never feels like a slog. Additionally, along each one of these threads there are plot twists and reveals that will make George R.R. Martin fans smile and keep readers flipping through the pages. The city and more political plots are not the only thing Sam has brought into The City Stained Red to appease modern readers either. For me, once you learn a bit more about the ‘dark sides’ in this novel things do become pretty dark – to the extent that some of the scenes are rather disturbing. You’ll see people turning inside out, coughing up demons, burnt and reduced to mush – all the good stuff. As I’ve already said though, these scenes certainly add to Sam’s work and expand his potential readership as opposed to harming it or reducing the feeling of originality he has always maintained.
I wish I could comment more on the absolutely fantastic Asper scenes where she gets to interact with dark forces, the interactions between Kataria and her people, Lenk’s struggle with retiring and thoughts about what will come after, and Garth’s reflections on his lost people. However, to do so would be spoiling important parts of the novel and soften the emotional impact that Sam’s prose will undoubtedly deliver… So I will leave you to stumble upon those yourself when you pick it up.
Moving away from the plot for a moment, I can’t write a review on this book without praising Sam for the ridiculously colourful variety of creatures, beings, concepts and lore within The City Stained Red. I’ve already told you about the giant spiders spinning silk, but you will meet a vast array of mind bending ‘things’ that you won’t find in other fantasy novels. The best example I can give of such ‘things’ the Couthi merchants who have four arms and paintings for heads – yep, I wrote that out right!. I really hope we get a short story to explain a bit more about their origins in the future. It is worth noting that Sam sprinkles the lore into his book in a way that you can delve into it or not. I guess in that way it is like DragonAge – you can hit ‘square’ to skip the ‘extras’ and get to the action or you can spend time reading through and enhancing your knowledge of Sam’s world and concepts .
I stand by a Tweet I once wrote that I feel sums Sam Sykes up as an author: where other writers think “I can’t possibly write that”, Sam thinks “I HAVE to write that”. For that reason, whenever I read something by Sam Sykes it feels as though it sits in its very own genre. It is parody, but not in the way Pratchett is. It is Epic, but not in the way The Lord of The Rings is. It’s Grim and Gritty, but not in a way that I’d slot it on shelves alongside Lawrence or Abercrombie. It’s just Fantasy written by Sam Sykes: fast, over the top, hilarious, charming, gruesome – it is all over the place and yet there are so many powerful scenes, so many incredible creations and hidden depths that it certainly isn’t throw away fiction. No one else writes like Sam Sykes because no one else can. His work is unique and that’s pretty damned impressive in a genre that is so often called ‘stale’ and ‘based on trends’.
Sam is certainly aware of this though. He draws upon the fantasy he read growing up and twists it in a way that it is recognisable, but results in the characters being inevitably broken. For example, he takes the sweet cleric trope and gives her an arm with seemingly demonic powers; he takes the wise wizard and makes him both volatile and not all that old, wise or reliable; he takes the warrior and gives him mental instability and intelligence; and the rogue he just makes a pain in the arse – both to the reader (because you never know what he is up to) and to the other characters too (for similar reasons). Oh, and there’s a Dragonman and feline-like warrior woman.
With all that said, The City Stained Red does take a step closer to the type of Fantasy on today’s bookshelves. Sam’s characters leave the Dragonlance-esque world we followed them through in the previous trilogy and find themselves in a city far more reminiscent of the kind you’d find in a George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie novel. My presumption is that Sam Sykes or his Editors thought that writing something more mass-market (which this 100% is) would be a good idea, but, as it’s by Sam Sykes, if you were to read 10 books from the gritty / grey shelves this would stand out like a sore thumb – and that’s a good thing.
Onto the plot, The City Stained Red kicks off just after the events of The Skybound Sea (although you certainly don’t need to have read the first trilogy to enjoy this title). Lenk is on a boat and has decided that after completing an insanely difficult quest that nearly saw him and all his companions killed that he has had enough. He wants out of life as an Adventurer. He wants to be ‘normal’. However, there’s a slight problem with that in that Lenk isn’t really good at anything except being an Adventurer and that means he’ll need money if he is to retire and walk away into the sunset. The good news is that the completion of the aforementioned quest made him rich; the bad news is that he was left with an I.O.U rather than hard currency. And you can’t spend I.O.U. notes, can you? As a result, if Lenk wants to retire, he needs to track down the elusive debtor and get his money. The problem is that said debtor has buried himself deep within trading city of Cier’Djaal – somewhere Lenk and Co are far from welcome.
After an absolutely brilliant entrance into Cier’Djaal, that will introduce new readers of Sykes work to exactly what he is all about – the chaos really starts. Cier’Djaal is a rich city where giant spiders make fine silks and is seemingly rather peaceful. However, those profiting from the silks will soon find that they’ve become too content with the way things are and beneath the surface there are a number of factions interested in taking a step up the food chain; pretty much making the city a ticking time bomb. The power play is going to be made by dark, dangerous and mysterious forces and those within the city are going to wish they were far away. We’re talking assassins and unholy users of magic here. Despite Lenk’s desire to keep away from the troubles going on around them, he can’t leave unless he can track down the priest who owes him money and it seems that every sighting of him results in Lenk needing to dig deeper and deeper into the inevitable Cier’Djaal conflict.
I’ve focused on Lenk because his narrative is the easiest to discuss without giving too many spoilers, but as with all of Sam’s novels we get to experience multiple POVs throughout The City Stained Red. Each one continues on from the previous and each gives us a glimpse at different corners and levels of the city. This is incredibly well done, because initially we have little clue as to who the players are in the coming conflict or the reasons it is arising. To list the plot threads you will get to enjoy:
*Lenks struggle to find his funds and whether to retire.
*Kataria’s confusion over Lenk and discovery of her own people
*Denaos’s secret past and its connection to current events
*What Asper’s secret actually is and the dark forces it connects her to
*Dreadaleon’s desire to save and protect a woman he falls for
*Gariath’s struggle with being an outcast and discovery of a new foe
The fact that Sam has so many POVs and so many stories to tell is probably why this book is such a monster – it stands at 640 pages). When I first picked up the book I must admit feeling a little overwhelmed, but can honestly say it felt like reading a novella at times. Because each story and character’s POV is so different it never feels like a slog. Additionally, along each one of these threads there are plot twists and reveals that will make George R.R. Martin fans smile and keep readers flipping through the pages. The city and more political plots are not the only thing Sam has brought into The City Stained Red to appease modern readers either. For me, once you learn a bit more about the ‘dark sides’ in this novel things do become pretty dark – to the extent that some of the scenes are rather disturbing. You’ll see people turning inside out, coughing up demons, burnt and reduced to mush – all the good stuff. As I’ve already said though, these scenes certainly add to Sam’s work and expand his potential readership as opposed to harming it or reducing the feeling of originality he has always maintained.
I wish I could comment more on the absolutely fantastic Asper scenes where she gets to interact with dark forces, the interactions between Kataria and her people, Lenk’s struggle with retiring and thoughts about what will come after, and Garth’s reflections on his lost people. However, to do so would be spoiling important parts of the novel and soften the emotional impact that Sam’s prose will undoubtedly deliver… So I will leave you to stumble upon those yourself when you pick it up.
Moving away from the plot for a moment, I can’t write a review on this book without praising Sam for the ridiculously colourful variety of creatures, beings, concepts and lore within The City Stained Red. I’ve already told you about the giant spiders spinning silk, but you will meet a vast array of mind bending ‘things’ that you won’t find in other fantasy novels. The best example I can give of such ‘things’ the Couthi merchants who have four arms and paintings for heads – yep, I wrote that out right!. I really hope we get a short story to explain a bit more about their origins in the future. It is worth noting that Sam sprinkles the lore into his book in a way that you can delve into it or not. I guess in that way it is like DragonAge – you can hit ‘square’ to skip the ‘extras’ and get to the action or you can spend time reading through and enhancing your knowledge of Sam’s world and concepts .
I stand by a Tweet I once wrote that I feel sums Sam Sykes up as an author: where other writers think “I can’t possibly write that”, Sam thinks “I HAVE to write that”. For that reason, whenever I read something by Sam Sykes it feels as though it sits in its very own genre. It is parody, but not in the way Pratchett is. It is Epic, but not in the way The Lord of The Rings is. It’s Grim and Gritty, but not in a way that I’d slot it on shelves alongside Lawrence or Abercrombie. It’s just Fantasy written by Sam Sykes: fast, over the top, hilarious, charming, gruesome – it is all over the place and yet there are so many powerful scenes, so many incredible creations and hidden depths that it certainly isn’t throw away fiction. No one else writes like Sam Sykes because no one else can. His work is unique and that’s pretty damned impressive in a genre that is so often called ‘stale’ and ‘based on trends’.
February 6, 2015
3.5 of 5 stars http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/02/06/b...
The City Stained Red is the start of Sam Sykes’ new series called Bring Down Heaven and it takes place in the same “universe” as his Aeon’s Gate trilogy. Happily, you do not have to have read the latter before tackling the former. In fact, I wasn’t even aware that the two series were linked until it was bought up to me by a fellow reviewer. I don’t doubt, however, that if you’ve read Aeon’s Gate you will find this novel’s world and history all the more powerful and enriching.
The book opens with an introduction to a mercenary named Lenk, and the list of his fellow adventurers looks conspicuously like a party straight out of a role-playing game. There’s Kataria the elf-like archer, Asper the priestess of healing, Dreadaeleon the young wizard, Denaos the rogue with a shadowy past, and Gariath the beastly dragon-man brawler. Together, they arrive at the city of Cier’Djaal to track down a man named Miron, a client who hired them to do a job and then stiffed them out of their pay. The group has chosen a hell of time to arrive though, as two opposing armies bear down on the capital desiring only blood and war. As demons emerge from the depths to harry Lenk and his team, a banished god also takes advantage of the turmoil to rise again.
This was a good book, though it did have the occasional hiccup. To its credit, the book started out by putting its best foot forward, with Sykes winning me over with his clever writing style and delightfully dry wit. Despite the fantasy archetypes, his characters have unique personalities and voices, and I particularly liked Lenk’s sardonic and self-deprecating attitude. Sykes also ensures that his readers get plenty enough time with everyone in the group, devoting time to each character with their own perspective chapters as we move through the story. Lenk, Kataria, Asper, Denaos, Dreadaeleon and Gariath all have backstories that make them interesting, and their personal struggles give them depth, elevating each beyond simply “stock character” status.
I hit my first speed bump around the quarter-way mark when I felt the story lose some of its momentum, and it took me a moment to figure out why. After all, at this point we were still going full steam ahead with all the conflict and wicked fight scenes. Then I realized that might be part of the problem. There is such a thing as too much action, and I felt perhaps the story could have found a better balance. After what felt like a string of chapters featuring non-stop battling, I stopped to wonder where the plot was going. I was sure that it was heading towards a certain direction, but at the same time it seemed to be stalling out from all the fighting.
Also, while I appreciated a deeper look into each character, the format of shifting from one perspective to the next hindered the pacing to an extent. It might not have been so noticeable if it had been only two or three characters, but the downside of cycling through six points of view is that you risk breaking up the flow of the story. Individually, the characters were also written well and I was able to connect with them, but the relationship dynamics between them were harder for me to grasp. It was especially tough to relate to Lenk’s feelings for Kataria. The fact that he has strong feelings towards her is made obvious through the text, but even though Sykes is good at expressing a wide range of Lenk’s emotions, when it comes to love and passion it is still a tad bit shaky.
Fortunately, the story regained its traction once it got moving again, which I was glad to see. I enjoyed the rest of the book, though it’s also true I was unable to throw myself back into with the same energy and enthusiasm I experienced at the book’s beginning. Still, the good parts – most notably the beginning and the end – stand out and make this one a memorable read. What other foul and evil things can befall our adventurers in this awful, awful city I can’t even imagine, but I’m sure Sykes has more in store for us in the next installment. I’m looking forward to finding out.
The City Stained Red is the start of Sam Sykes’ new series called Bring Down Heaven and it takes place in the same “universe” as his Aeon’s Gate trilogy. Happily, you do not have to have read the latter before tackling the former. In fact, I wasn’t even aware that the two series were linked until it was bought up to me by a fellow reviewer. I don’t doubt, however, that if you’ve read Aeon’s Gate you will find this novel’s world and history all the more powerful and enriching.
The book opens with an introduction to a mercenary named Lenk, and the list of his fellow adventurers looks conspicuously like a party straight out of a role-playing game. There’s Kataria the elf-like archer, Asper the priestess of healing, Dreadaeleon the young wizard, Denaos the rogue with a shadowy past, and Gariath the beastly dragon-man brawler. Together, they arrive at the city of Cier’Djaal to track down a man named Miron, a client who hired them to do a job and then stiffed them out of their pay. The group has chosen a hell of time to arrive though, as two opposing armies bear down on the capital desiring only blood and war. As demons emerge from the depths to harry Lenk and his team, a banished god also takes advantage of the turmoil to rise again.
This was a good book, though it did have the occasional hiccup. To its credit, the book started out by putting its best foot forward, with Sykes winning me over with his clever writing style and delightfully dry wit. Despite the fantasy archetypes, his characters have unique personalities and voices, and I particularly liked Lenk’s sardonic and self-deprecating attitude. Sykes also ensures that his readers get plenty enough time with everyone in the group, devoting time to each character with their own perspective chapters as we move through the story. Lenk, Kataria, Asper, Denaos, Dreadaeleon and Gariath all have backstories that make them interesting, and their personal struggles give them depth, elevating each beyond simply “stock character” status.
I hit my first speed bump around the quarter-way mark when I felt the story lose some of its momentum, and it took me a moment to figure out why. After all, at this point we were still going full steam ahead with all the conflict and wicked fight scenes. Then I realized that might be part of the problem. There is such a thing as too much action, and I felt perhaps the story could have found a better balance. After what felt like a string of chapters featuring non-stop battling, I stopped to wonder where the plot was going. I was sure that it was heading towards a certain direction, but at the same time it seemed to be stalling out from all the fighting.
Also, while I appreciated a deeper look into each character, the format of shifting from one perspective to the next hindered the pacing to an extent. It might not have been so noticeable if it had been only two or three characters, but the downside of cycling through six points of view is that you risk breaking up the flow of the story. Individually, the characters were also written well and I was able to connect with them, but the relationship dynamics between them were harder for me to grasp. It was especially tough to relate to Lenk’s feelings for Kataria. The fact that he has strong feelings towards her is made obvious through the text, but even though Sykes is good at expressing a wide range of Lenk’s emotions, when it comes to love and passion it is still a tad bit shaky.
Fortunately, the story regained its traction once it got moving again, which I was glad to see. I enjoyed the rest of the book, though it’s also true I was unable to throw myself back into with the same energy and enthusiasm I experienced at the book’s beginning. Still, the good parts – most notably the beginning and the end – stand out and make this one a memorable read. What other foul and evil things can befall our adventurers in this awful, awful city I can’t even imagine, but I’m sure Sykes has more in store for us in the next installment. I’m looking forward to finding out.
February 6, 2015
What words even begin to describe Sam Sykes... enigma... charlatan... mystical hobgoblin? I could go on, but thankfully Sykes is also a bloody good writer, and in The City Stained Red he has produced an entertaining and subversive tale that the bards (or reviewers, if your feeling modern today) shall speak of for an age.
I loved many things about The City Stained Red. As an avid follower of Sykes on twitter (your life is not complete if you haven't chuckled at Sam's wit and charm at least once a day) I looked forward to a cracking and funny tale filled with bloodsport and laughter. And boy was I not disappointed! Laced with gut wrenching humour, scintillating action and subtle observations, The City Stained Red was one of those books that danced across my eyes and made my heart sing. Lenk and his merry band of misfits were brilliant and interesting, and I especially loved how they interacted with each other and the world around them in different and unique ways. The world building was stunning, and the city of Cier'Djaal was brilliantly portrayed in a familiar, yet at times alien way (giant spiders anyone?). And come on people, Sykes has Dragonmen... and Simians... *punches air in awesomeness.
However The City Stained Red is not just a DnD tale on roids... it's much more then that. Sykes has also managed to weave a fascinating sensitivity and heart into this story, and his examination of well used fantasy tropes makes this book well worth the read. I tore through this book, and before I knew it was over and I left yearning for the next instalment.
So basically, I loved The City Stained Red, and I have officially been SYKED. If you have a beating heart and operable brain then this is the book for you!
4 out of 5 stars.
smashdragons.blogspot.com.au
I loved many things about The City Stained Red. As an avid follower of Sykes on twitter (your life is not complete if you haven't chuckled at Sam's wit and charm at least once a day) I looked forward to a cracking and funny tale filled with bloodsport and laughter. And boy was I not disappointed! Laced with gut wrenching humour, scintillating action and subtle observations, The City Stained Red was one of those books that danced across my eyes and made my heart sing. Lenk and his merry band of misfits were brilliant and interesting, and I especially loved how they interacted with each other and the world around them in different and unique ways. The world building was stunning, and the city of Cier'Djaal was brilliantly portrayed in a familiar, yet at times alien way (giant spiders anyone?). And come on people, Sykes has Dragonmen... and Simians... *punches air in awesomeness.
However The City Stained Red is not just a DnD tale on roids... it's much more then that. Sykes has also managed to weave a fascinating sensitivity and heart into this story, and his examination of well used fantasy tropes makes this book well worth the read. I tore through this book, and before I knew it was over and I left yearning for the next instalment.
So basically, I loved The City Stained Red, and I have officially been SYKED. If you have a beating heart and operable brain then this is the book for you!
4 out of 5 stars.
smashdragons.blogspot.com.au
July 31, 2016
Start of a new series following the characters from Aeon's gate. A definite step up from the first trilogy. Sykes' writing has got better. The book felt less padded, but the world had more depth. Less random, more tightly plot focused, but still with a good mixture of action and dark humour. You don't need to have read the previous books, but it does help. More demon fighting and good interaction between characters. Will now read the next book.
January 26, 2015
Fantasy Review Barn
It can be considered a good sign if only a few pages into a book I am looking around for someone to read passages to. Be it for humor or depth of thought I like to share what I am reading. Usually no one cares, but occasionally a quote is so good it elicits a chuckle from others even without context. The City Stained Red gave me a good vibe almost immediately.
A mercenary group who follows an adventurer named Lenk chases their mysterious benefactor to a new city in order to get payment…and hits a dead end. Lenk has an image in his head of putting down the sword and starting over; but he needs that last paycheck. Perhaps naively he assumes this is a path that will work for his companions. But pretty dreams are no match for reality. Behind the silk based riches Cier’ Djaal is a city on the edge. Not only is it being eyed as a prize by a couple of stronger foreign powers (held in check by each other more than anyone in the city itself), there is internal tension threatening as well. As is the pattern in an adventurer’s life avoiding these troubles is going to prove impossible.
The City Stained Red is a continuation of the Aeon’s Gate series. But it doesn’t require previous books to be read. The various back stories are woven in smoothly, letting a new reader to the series catch up but never felling overly redundant to someone who has read Sykes before (even if it was several years ago in my case). Be warned though, this book is a commitment. Expect no resolutions here; this is most definitely the start of what appears to be a truly epic series.
Sykes impresses with the way he blends here. A very serious and fairly dark tale is blended with great wit and wordplay. I dare say The City Stained Red contains some of the most entertaining dialog I have read recently, made even better by how natural it feels to the characters. Also blended in this tale is a great mix of the familiar with the completely unique. Yes, there is a D&D party feel to Lenk’s group with the soldier, the mage, the healer and the muscle all present. But each of them seems to different than their stereotypical archetype that I didn’t really consider it until a ways in. And outside of the familiar creatures are some completely unique ones. The traders who use random paintings as a mask are probably my favorite but a sentient group that made me think of the Cheshire Cat are a close second.
There ought to be a formula that takes into account a book’s length vs how long it really feels. In this case the story flew by; never felling like the epic brick of a book it really is. There is rarely a dull moment through that doesn’t come only from no-stop action. There are no wasted pages. When not in heavy action mode we are learning about the city, or expanding on a characters’ background, or enjoying some of that great wordplay mentioned earlier.
With such a large cast it would be easy to lose a character or two but each felt necessary. The ensamble cast goes their various ways and I was happy to follow each of them. A massive collection of identity crises would be the best way to describe it; Lenk’s determination to leave the life behind they had all lived together forces each of them to reevaluate everything. A dragonman wondering about his loyalty, a healer who has a surprisingly relaxed approach to violence, an enigma whose past is suddenly snapped back to the present are all compelling paths. But it is the relationship between Lenk and Kataria that shines. Neither can ever live the life the other can do due to racial differences (Kataria’s ork-like people are looked upon with much distrust in human society. It is one of the most human relationships I can imagine; bad communication, misunderstandings, and lots of mistakes but still unmistakably a kind of love.
Not a lot of negative to point out. While I love the epic nature it was a rough story to jump into; lots of names, places, and past deeds to start learning. The ensemble cast each had their part to play it jumping between them sometimes hurt the flow. I am also used to each volume of a tale to have at least a little bit of a resolution. Not so here. Disappointment that I don’t know how the story ends probably shouldn’t count against the book though.
4 Stars
Copy for review provided by publisher.
“There is a point at which a man ceases to use his men to secure his own fortune and starts using it to secure the fortunes of others…usually, for himself.”
It can be considered a good sign if only a few pages into a book I am looking around for someone to read passages to. Be it for humor or depth of thought I like to share what I am reading. Usually no one cares, but occasionally a quote is so good it elicits a chuckle from others even without context. The City Stained Red gave me a good vibe almost immediately.
A mercenary group who follows an adventurer named Lenk chases their mysterious benefactor to a new city in order to get payment…and hits a dead end. Lenk has an image in his head of putting down the sword and starting over; but he needs that last paycheck. Perhaps naively he assumes this is a path that will work for his companions. But pretty dreams are no match for reality. Behind the silk based riches Cier’ Djaal is a city on the edge. Not only is it being eyed as a prize by a couple of stronger foreign powers (held in check by each other more than anyone in the city itself), there is internal tension threatening as well. As is the pattern in an adventurer’s life avoiding these troubles is going to prove impossible.
The City Stained Red is a continuation of the Aeon’s Gate series. But it doesn’t require previous books to be read. The various back stories are woven in smoothly, letting a new reader to the series catch up but never felling overly redundant to someone who has read Sykes before (even if it was several years ago in my case). Be warned though, this book is a commitment. Expect no resolutions here; this is most definitely the start of what appears to be a truly epic series.
Sykes impresses with the way he blends here. A very serious and fairly dark tale is blended with great wit and wordplay. I dare say The City Stained Red contains some of the most entertaining dialog I have read recently, made even better by how natural it feels to the characters. Also blended in this tale is a great mix of the familiar with the completely unique. Yes, there is a D&D party feel to Lenk’s group with the soldier, the mage, the healer and the muscle all present. But each of them seems to different than their stereotypical archetype that I didn’t really consider it until a ways in. And outside of the familiar creatures are some completely unique ones. The traders who use random paintings as a mask are probably my favorite but a sentient group that made me think of the Cheshire Cat are a close second.
There ought to be a formula that takes into account a book’s length vs how long it really feels. In this case the story flew by; never felling like the epic brick of a book it really is. There is rarely a dull moment through that doesn’t come only from no-stop action. There are no wasted pages. When not in heavy action mode we are learning about the city, or expanding on a characters’ background, or enjoying some of that great wordplay mentioned earlier.
With such a large cast it would be easy to lose a character or two but each felt necessary. The ensamble cast goes their various ways and I was happy to follow each of them. A massive collection of identity crises would be the best way to describe it; Lenk’s determination to leave the life behind they had all lived together forces each of them to reevaluate everything. A dragonman wondering about his loyalty, a healer who has a surprisingly relaxed approach to violence, an enigma whose past is suddenly snapped back to the present are all compelling paths. But it is the relationship between Lenk and Kataria that shines. Neither can ever live the life the other can do due to racial differences (Kataria’s ork-like people are looked upon with much distrust in human society. It is one of the most human relationships I can imagine; bad communication, misunderstandings, and lots of mistakes but still unmistakably a kind of love.
Not a lot of negative to point out. While I love the epic nature it was a rough story to jump into; lots of names, places, and past deeds to start learning. The ensemble cast each had their part to play it jumping between them sometimes hurt the flow. I am also used to each volume of a tale to have at least a little bit of a resolution. Not so here. Disappointment that I don’t know how the story ends probably shouldn’t count against the book though.
4 Stars
Copy for review provided by publisher.
November 28, 2016
The characters are what made the book for me. A killer with an unknown and mysterious past, an elf-like creature who can no longer hear her own kind, another human with things to hide, a priestess with a demonic left arm, a wizard boy desperately trying to prove himself, an a dragonman who is the last of his kind. If that at all sounds intriguing, I would suggest picking it up.
December 30, 2014
I went into this with an open mind and an understanding that there were going to be some things I would be slow in catching up on given that I hadn't read the Aeon Trilogy but I'd read reviews that indicated it wasn't necessary. Even given this, it wasn't very long before I knew I'd struggle mightily finding a rhythm with this one. The early chapters were disjointed and episodic and didn't flow logically into the overall storyline until about halfway through the 600 pages. The reader was taken from conflict to conflict to conflict chapter after chapter after chapter with no idea why or what the characters are working towards. The characters often complain in both internal and external monologue about wanting to change their path in life yet make absolutely no change in the manner in which they approach conflict, resorting to the same violence first approach that had failed them so often in the past and in which they openly want to leave behind.
I found my momentum being constantly interrupted by the overuse of clumsy, and often hard to understand metaphor. The use of humor and sarcasm by some of the characters felt misplaced and made me feel like I was slipping between the fantasy reality of the story and into common pop culture vernacular. Action scenes, and there are many, were often confusing and hard to follow, and had too many "fade to black" moments where the POV character is rendered unconscious or goes into ostrich mode and the conflict simply ends from the reader's perspective and it's left up to the next POV character to explain how the situation in the previous chapter ended, through a retelling rather than a conclusion to an action scene.
Add to all of this the introduction of one of my least favorite, lazy man's plot devices at the 80% mark, the false accusation. The whole city thinks I've committed a crime when I haven't but I put myself needlessly into a position to be reasonably accused of doing so. Ugh. I almost quit. But I can't get much worse right? Right?
Then comes the sudden, unexpected, unexplained introduction of the supernatural on a massive scale. Giant rock golems and fire bombs dropped from people flying giant birds.
The best thing I can say about this one is that I'm done with it. Perhaps I would have gotten more from it had I read the Aeon trilogy first, but if this is what Sam's writing is like in his 4th volume I can't imagine it was better in his earlier works. Sorry Sam. Not a fan.
I found my momentum being constantly interrupted by the overuse of clumsy, and often hard to understand metaphor. The use of humor and sarcasm by some of the characters felt misplaced and made me feel like I was slipping between the fantasy reality of the story and into common pop culture vernacular. Action scenes, and there are many, were often confusing and hard to follow, and had too many "fade to black" moments where the POV character is rendered unconscious or goes into ostrich mode and the conflict simply ends from the reader's perspective and it's left up to the next POV character to explain how the situation in the previous chapter ended, through a retelling rather than a conclusion to an action scene.
Add to all of this the introduction of one of my least favorite, lazy man's plot devices at the 80% mark, the false accusation. The whole city thinks I've committed a crime when I haven't but I put myself needlessly into a position to be reasonably accused of doing so. Ugh. I almost quit. But I can't get much worse right? Right?
Then comes the sudden, unexpected, unexplained introduction of the supernatural on a massive scale. Giant rock golems and fire bombs dropped from people flying giant birds.
The best thing I can say about this one is that I'm done with it. Perhaps I would have gotten more from it had I read the Aeon trilogy first, but if this is what Sam's writing is like in his 4th volume I can't imagine it was better in his earlier works. Sorry Sam. Not a fan.
December 20, 2014
I do like a messed up city, you know, the kind of city where you would never want to live, heck you would not even want to visit. It makes for a good story and a good setting.
In this city things are brewing. It has grown fat on it's on people. Some are rich, some have nothing. Spiders roam everywhere because they are the source of money. There are soldiers from many places, and tensions are high. No one wants to ignite it, but everyone wants the be the ones left standing. And if that wasn't enough a "God", well demon, is trying to come back and take power. His followers are tearing things apart. Like I said, it's not the place to be right now.
This book follows the same group from an earlier trilogy. Since I ever only read book 1 from that one and that was ages ago, I can say that it works like this. Though it could always have had a bit more presentation. But it works.
The book changes between a few POVS. Lenk, our hero, ok I am kidding, he is not a hero. He is a killer. Kataria who comes from a race who hunts humans for fun. Oh I liked her, she struggles with her place in the world in this book. Denaos who has been to the before (now that would be quite the book), Asper a healer who is the sane and nice one, but who has a secret. Plus a wizard and a dragonman. They are all on their own adventures and agendas. The city seems to throw them all into different directions. Like it wants them to separate.
The book is about, them all going and doing their own stuff (too much to tell her, secrets hello.) The city crumbling around them and they trying to stay alive, while killing a few. And trying to find the man who led them here so they can get paid. Adventure, secrets and death is what the story has to offer.
I do wonder where the story will go, at the end I had doubts. Maybe the city really should fall. It was not a good city. It also had me wondering about other things, thrilling.
In this city things are brewing. It has grown fat on it's on people. Some are rich, some have nothing. Spiders roam everywhere because they are the source of money. There are soldiers from many places, and tensions are high. No one wants to ignite it, but everyone wants the be the ones left standing. And if that wasn't enough a "God", well demon, is trying to come back and take power. His followers are tearing things apart. Like I said, it's not the place to be right now.
This book follows the same group from an earlier trilogy. Since I ever only read book 1 from that one and that was ages ago, I can say that it works like this. Though it could always have had a bit more presentation. But it works.
The book changes between a few POVS. Lenk, our hero, ok I am kidding, he is not a hero. He is a killer. Kataria who comes from a race who hunts humans for fun. Oh I liked her, she struggles with her place in the world in this book. Denaos who has been to the before (now that would be quite the book), Asper a healer who is the sane and nice one, but who has a secret. Plus a wizard and a dragonman. They are all on their own adventures and agendas. The city seems to throw them all into different directions. Like it wants them to separate.
The book is about, them all going and doing their own stuff (too much to tell her, secrets hello.) The city crumbling around them and they trying to stay alive, while killing a few. And trying to find the man who led them here so they can get paid. Adventure, secrets and death is what the story has to offer.
I do wonder where the story will go, at the end I had doubts. Maybe the city really should fall. It was not a good city. It also had me wondering about other things, thrilling.
December 2, 2015
This was a fun, action packed book! I enjoyed the story and the characters! I am definitely in for the next books in this series! Also if you don't follow Mr. Sykes on twitter you should, Very entertaining, just like his writing!
May 12, 2015
Recently, a friend of mine criticized a popular superhero tv show as being boring because it was, according to him, "about perfect people repeating the same plots over and over." That stood out to me, because it got me thinking about the kinds of people we like to read about or watch on our screens, and the kind of stories we like to see them live out. I came to the conclusion that we like imperfect people. Because they're so FUN to interact with. And because where do we ever find perfect people in our lives? Nowhere, but we're surrounded by plenty of imperfections, both in ourselves and in those around us. In his book A City Stained Red and the precluding series The Aeons' Gate trilogy, Sam Sykes has perfected the art of writing about imperfect characters in a perfect way.
Sykes's characters have the distinctive quality of being so imperfect as to be on the edge of unlikable, but such is Sykes's talent that he keeps readers on the edge of their seats and wanting to know more, even making these flawed heroes relatable to the audience. Each one has unique flaw(s)-be it arrogance, unchecked aggression, a lack of social connection and empathy, or a god complex. Or all of the above. And none of them are presented as flawed characters that need to be "fixed." They don't endure the hero's journey and come out on the other side as better, stronger persons. They don't need to. Sykes writes them in such a way that the reader is interested in their growth (and occasional lack thereof) without the plot necessitating a complete reversal in characters. Lenk and his friends don't grow into "perfect people"-they stay nice and imperfect throughout their journey and they're a hell of a lot more interesting for it.
A consistent theme of this book is bad decisions. Like, really bad decisions. As in "OH MY GOD LENK DON'T DO THAT THING AW HELL NO YOU DID THE THING AND NOW EVERYTHING IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET REAL DARN QUICK ALL BECAUSE YOU DID THE THING." And then you're onto the next chapter and saying "OH MY GOD DREAD DON'T DO THAT THING..." and it's basically a rollercoaster wreck of you wanting to cover your eyes but not being able to look away. See, Sykes writes his characters in a way so that they DO do the thing. And usually, doing the thing was a Very Bad Decision. But they did the thing and now they have to live with the consequences of doing the thing. And those consequences, and how the character chooses to deal with them, is what makes this book so freaking good. Because that's life, right? It's us going through our lives making good decisions and bad decisions and dealing with the consequences that come our way because of our choices. Sykes reflects this in upholding the tenet of "Actions speak louder than words." We as readers aren't TOLD what the character is like, we are SHOWN what they are like through the choices they make and how they react to those choices and the way they interact with the world and the characters around them. And it's that kind of writing and that kind of characterization that sets Sykes apart from other fantasy writers and makes me classify him as one of the greats of modern fantasy, along with Pat Rothfuss, Kevin Hearne, Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, and Tamora Pierce. With 6 main characters, all of whom have a tendency to make Very Bad Decisions, the novel is wonderfully thrilling ride of one clusterfuck after another.
Another strength of this novel lies in Sykes's worldbuilding. It's richly woven world with a complex tapestry of details such that it is completely believable and totally alluring. The landscapes are exciting and inventive, the languages new and smoothly incorporated, but it is the people and creatures that populate the world that stand out to me. They pop out both for their creativeness and their realness and the way they just work in the world. They are so smoothly written to seem as if they belong their-for indeed they do, as it is their world and it belongs to them. There's just enough detailed worldbuilding to create a believable world but not so much as to distract the reader from the plot or cause them to overthink it. Sykes is the master of balance in prose-enough imperfections in characters to make them interesting, not so much as to make them unapproachable; enough magic to keep a fantasy nerd happy and make the world new and exciting; not so much as to make magicbuilding the focus of the story; enough good things to give the reader a break from panic attacks, but enough bad things to keep them coming back for more.
It should also be noted that this book is freaking hilarious and had me laughing out loud many times. By the end of the book, I had also sobbed a couple times, so dammit, it's an emotional rollercoaster. But that's the best kind of book. This is an amazing read and I highly recommend to anyone with a nose. It's fun that you don't want to miss out on and Sykes's talent will be sure to shine brightly with his future works.
Sykes's characters have the distinctive quality of being so imperfect as to be on the edge of unlikable, but such is Sykes's talent that he keeps readers on the edge of their seats and wanting to know more, even making these flawed heroes relatable to the audience. Each one has unique flaw(s)-be it arrogance, unchecked aggression, a lack of social connection and empathy, or a god complex. Or all of the above. And none of them are presented as flawed characters that need to be "fixed." They don't endure the hero's journey and come out on the other side as better, stronger persons. They don't need to. Sykes writes them in such a way that the reader is interested in their growth (and occasional lack thereof) without the plot necessitating a complete reversal in characters. Lenk and his friends don't grow into "perfect people"-they stay nice and imperfect throughout their journey and they're a hell of a lot more interesting for it.
A consistent theme of this book is bad decisions. Like, really bad decisions. As in "OH MY GOD LENK DON'T DO THAT THING AW HELL NO YOU DID THE THING AND NOW EVERYTHING IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET REAL DARN QUICK ALL BECAUSE YOU DID THE THING." And then you're onto the next chapter and saying "OH MY GOD DREAD DON'T DO THAT THING..." and it's basically a rollercoaster wreck of you wanting to cover your eyes but not being able to look away. See, Sykes writes his characters in a way so that they DO do the thing. And usually, doing the thing was a Very Bad Decision. But they did the thing and now they have to live with the consequences of doing the thing. And those consequences, and how the character chooses to deal with them, is what makes this book so freaking good. Because that's life, right? It's us going through our lives making good decisions and bad decisions and dealing with the consequences that come our way because of our choices. Sykes reflects this in upholding the tenet of "Actions speak louder than words." We as readers aren't TOLD what the character is like, we are SHOWN what they are like through the choices they make and how they react to those choices and the way they interact with the world and the characters around them. And it's that kind of writing and that kind of characterization that sets Sykes apart from other fantasy writers and makes me classify him as one of the greats of modern fantasy, along with Pat Rothfuss, Kevin Hearne, Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, and Tamora Pierce. With 6 main characters, all of whom have a tendency to make Very Bad Decisions, the novel is wonderfully thrilling ride of one clusterfuck after another.
Another strength of this novel lies in Sykes's worldbuilding. It's richly woven world with a complex tapestry of details such that it is completely believable and totally alluring. The landscapes are exciting and inventive, the languages new and smoothly incorporated, but it is the people and creatures that populate the world that stand out to me. They pop out both for their creativeness and their realness and the way they just work in the world. They are so smoothly written to seem as if they belong their-for indeed they do, as it is their world and it belongs to them. There's just enough detailed worldbuilding to create a believable world but not so much as to distract the reader from the plot or cause them to overthink it. Sykes is the master of balance in prose-enough imperfections in characters to make them interesting, not so much as to make them unapproachable; enough magic to keep a fantasy nerd happy and make the world new and exciting; not so much as to make magicbuilding the focus of the story; enough good things to give the reader a break from panic attacks, but enough bad things to keep them coming back for more.
It should also be noted that this book is freaking hilarious and had me laughing out loud many times. By the end of the book, I had also sobbed a couple times, so dammit, it's an emotional rollercoaster. But that's the best kind of book. This is an amazing read and I highly recommend to anyone with a nose. It's fun that you don't want to miss out on and Sykes's talent will be sure to shine brightly with his future works.
dnf
March 4, 2018Is there a plot? It was just one action sequence after another through page 137. Worldbuilding? Why would we need that?
I tried. Twice.
I tried. Twice.
January 2, 2015
THE CITY STAINED RED is the first book in a new series called BRING DOWN HEAVEN, set in the same world as the AEONS' GATE series. I have now read two books by Mr. Sam Sykes. I enjoyed TOME OF THE UNDERGATES, AEONS GATE book one, a humorous and fun tale showcasing Mr. Sykes' obvious love for the genre and the themes and characters upon which it was built. Ultimately, however, I felt no urgency to pick up the next books and have yet to read them.
I was intrigued though by THE CITY STAINED RED. It trumpets the return of the varied and winsome characters from the first series. The storyline sounds more sophisticated and even the cover looks streamlined and sleek.
I was not disappointed.
Lenk and his loose band of adventurers – beneath mercenaries, above brigands and savages – travel to Cier'Djaal to pursue their last client who had failed to pay the fee agreed upon for their services. Lenk was particularly anxious to collect as he desires to retire thereafter, tired of the dangerous and murderous nature of adventure work. Cier'Djaal is known as a prosperous, orderly and peaceful city and Lenk desires to be one of its residents. He is willing to leave his fellow adventurers behind if need be, if that is the price to pay for a life where a sword is unnecessary. But their quarry proves to be slippery and perhaps not what he appears to be. Trouble is also brewing in Cier'Djaal. Religious factions are gearing up for a fight and unseen forces are pushing them to war. Add to that the agitation of the ruling class, economic and ethnic tensions, and Cier'Djaal is almost certain to erupt in violence and chaos. A magnet for trouble, Lenk --of course-- finds himself the object of the warring factions whether as bait, patsy or even savior. Even gods seem to seek his ear. Perhaps there is more to Lenk than even he is aware.
THE CITY STAINED RED retains all the humor and fun of TOME OF THE UNDERGATES and adds finesse, depth and complexity. Mr. Sykes' witty dialogue is tighter, flows smoother and without awkward transitions. This book strikes a good balance between maintaining an engaging storyline and delving into each character's microcosmic perspective. Mr. Sykes also creates a real uncertainty as to the future of this band of non-brothers, both individually and collectively. This only adds to the mystery and intrigue that heighten the level of interest in continuing with the series.
The self-hating and other-loathing characters created by Sam Sykes are varied, interesting and endearing . True, the roster reads like a fantasy handbook-- warrior leader, elfin character, rogue, wizard, priestess, giant/brute. While they may have started out as archetypal fantasy characters, they have broken out of the molds from which they were shaped and have emerged as unique, compelling individuals. The line between Lenk as leader and the rest as followers has also become blurred. Kataria, Denaos, Asper, Dreadaeleon and Gariath are each asserting their own primacy in the story and in their little group, defying expectations and their backgrounds. Apart from necessity and a mercenary spirit, this band is bound together by the same feeling of discontent with their own peoples and with their pasts. They are constantly searching for their identity and a sense of belonging. The danger is that their search may lead to paths away from one another.
THE CITY STAINED RED is a great start to a new series. My one quibble about this book is a personal one. Even with books that are part of a series, I prefer when it can be read separately and distinctly from the rest of the books, to have some sort of resolution, including a horrifying, devastating one, even while leaving certain doors open. This book intentionally leaves many loose threads. Indeed, much of the conflicts remains unresolved.
Beyond the fun, humor and monsters (including giant spiders upon which a city's main industry is built), there are many moments of profound subtlety--
“Anger was an ugly limerick. Despair was a droning speech. Hatred, however, was an argument. Arguments demanded that someone concede.”
“Life is fleeting, true. Precious, yes. But people act as though if they simply hold on long enough, they can hold it forever. But in holding on, they learn nothing but how to strangle life dead and leave it on the floor as an empty husk."
“xxx I'll tell you how surprising it is how much a man can take and still call himself a man. Gouge out his eyes, carve out his tongue, chop off his fingers, toes, legs; so long as you leave him one arm, he'll keep dragging himself through the dust and thanking whatever God he worships for the opportunity.
Likewise, it's surprising how little you can take from a man to make him just...stop.”
“A human was a finite resource.
The bulk of him went to his fears. More went to his hungers. A few stray drops were spared for his loves and his devotions. Whatever scraps were left to his senses.”
“How many times did someone get to say they were sorry, the fever burning behind her eyes asked as it tinged her vision, before the words didn't mean as much as the deed?”
“Man—no, anything that ever had a right to call itself a person—is determined to devote every fraction of his being toward the task of destroying himself.
He eats food only in the anticipation that he will one day starve. He worships Gods so that he'll know where to go when he dies. He makes loves with the desperate knowledge that, on the day he dies...xxx He will be alone.”
“You fail because you are made by the chase. You do not exist without something to pursue, without wounds to heal, without villains to stay. For you to be of any value, someone must first act that you may react. And for this reason, you will always be too late.”
“Always with the crying, these humans.
They tried so hard to cling to sharp things with their soft hands and then seemed so surprised when they got cut.”
Once again, Sam Sykes pays homage to the characters, monsters and themes of classic, well-loved fantasy while imbuing it with his own modern flare, particularly his wicked humor. I'm sorry, Mr. Sykes. While you say-- “I can't imagine any God would be boring enough to want to know how everything ends,” I am a mere mortal and I need to know what comes next. I am excited about this new series and eager for the next installment.
I was intrigued though by THE CITY STAINED RED. It trumpets the return of the varied and winsome characters from the first series. The storyline sounds more sophisticated and even the cover looks streamlined and sleek.
I was not disappointed.
Lenk and his loose band of adventurers – beneath mercenaries, above brigands and savages – travel to Cier'Djaal to pursue their last client who had failed to pay the fee agreed upon for their services. Lenk was particularly anxious to collect as he desires to retire thereafter, tired of the dangerous and murderous nature of adventure work. Cier'Djaal is known as a prosperous, orderly and peaceful city and Lenk desires to be one of its residents. He is willing to leave his fellow adventurers behind if need be, if that is the price to pay for a life where a sword is unnecessary. But their quarry proves to be slippery and perhaps not what he appears to be. Trouble is also brewing in Cier'Djaal. Religious factions are gearing up for a fight and unseen forces are pushing them to war. Add to that the agitation of the ruling class, economic and ethnic tensions, and Cier'Djaal is almost certain to erupt in violence and chaos. A magnet for trouble, Lenk --of course-- finds himself the object of the warring factions whether as bait, patsy or even savior. Even gods seem to seek his ear. Perhaps there is more to Lenk than even he is aware.
THE CITY STAINED RED retains all the humor and fun of TOME OF THE UNDERGATES and adds finesse, depth and complexity. Mr. Sykes' witty dialogue is tighter, flows smoother and without awkward transitions. This book strikes a good balance between maintaining an engaging storyline and delving into each character's microcosmic perspective. Mr. Sykes also creates a real uncertainty as to the future of this band of non-brothers, both individually and collectively. This only adds to the mystery and intrigue that heighten the level of interest in continuing with the series.
The self-hating and other-loathing characters created by Sam Sykes are varied, interesting and endearing . True, the roster reads like a fantasy handbook-- warrior leader, elfin character, rogue, wizard, priestess, giant/brute. While they may have started out as archetypal fantasy characters, they have broken out of the molds from which they were shaped and have emerged as unique, compelling individuals. The line between Lenk as leader and the rest as followers has also become blurred. Kataria, Denaos, Asper, Dreadaeleon and Gariath are each asserting their own primacy in the story and in their little group, defying expectations and their backgrounds. Apart from necessity and a mercenary spirit, this band is bound together by the same feeling of discontent with their own peoples and with their pasts. They are constantly searching for their identity and a sense of belonging. The danger is that their search may lead to paths away from one another.
THE CITY STAINED RED is a great start to a new series. My one quibble about this book is a personal one. Even with books that are part of a series, I prefer when it can be read separately and distinctly from the rest of the books, to have some sort of resolution, including a horrifying, devastating one, even while leaving certain doors open. This book intentionally leaves many loose threads. Indeed, much of the conflicts remains unresolved.
Beyond the fun, humor and monsters (including giant spiders upon which a city's main industry is built), there are many moments of profound subtlety--
“Anger was an ugly limerick. Despair was a droning speech. Hatred, however, was an argument. Arguments demanded that someone concede.”
“Life is fleeting, true. Precious, yes. But people act as though if they simply hold on long enough, they can hold it forever. But in holding on, they learn nothing but how to strangle life dead and leave it on the floor as an empty husk."
“xxx I'll tell you how surprising it is how much a man can take and still call himself a man. Gouge out his eyes, carve out his tongue, chop off his fingers, toes, legs; so long as you leave him one arm, he'll keep dragging himself through the dust and thanking whatever God he worships for the opportunity.
Likewise, it's surprising how little you can take from a man to make him just...stop.”
“A human was a finite resource.
The bulk of him went to his fears. More went to his hungers. A few stray drops were spared for his loves and his devotions. Whatever scraps were left to his senses.”
“How many times did someone get to say they were sorry, the fever burning behind her eyes asked as it tinged her vision, before the words didn't mean as much as the deed?”
“Man—no, anything that ever had a right to call itself a person—is determined to devote every fraction of his being toward the task of destroying himself.
He eats food only in the anticipation that he will one day starve. He worships Gods so that he'll know where to go when he dies. He makes loves with the desperate knowledge that, on the day he dies...xxx He will be alone.”
“You fail because you are made by the chase. You do not exist without something to pursue, without wounds to heal, without villains to stay. For you to be of any value, someone must first act that you may react. And for this reason, you will always be too late.”
“Always with the crying, these humans.
They tried so hard to cling to sharp things with their soft hands and then seemed so surprised when they got cut.”
Once again, Sam Sykes pays homage to the characters, monsters and themes of classic, well-loved fantasy while imbuing it with his own modern flare, particularly his wicked humor. I'm sorry, Mr. Sykes. While you say-- “I can't imagine any God would be boring enough to want to know how everything ends,” I am a mere mortal and I need to know what comes next. I am excited about this new series and eager for the next installment.
June 4, 2017
This was like, playing D&D without having to make any decisions or interact socially. I'm lazy and antisocial so this book was a perfect fit for me!
I found the two female main characters really well rounded, and they were my favourites out of the group. <3 Aster is such a derp, and Kataria is now my street harassment retaliation goals. I blame Sam if I get arrested.
The parallel between the insanity of the capitalism and the stupid war in Cier'Djaal was scarily familiar to today's political climate too. (I would rather have the man-eating spiders tbh.)
Recommended for my fantasy friends. :3
I found the two female main characters really well rounded, and they were my favourites out of the group. <3 Aster is such a derp, and Kataria is now my street harassment retaliation goals. I blame Sam if I get arrested.
The parallel between the insanity of the capitalism and the stupid war in Cier'Djaal was scarily familiar to today's political climate too. (I would rather have the man-eating spiders tbh.)
Recommended for my fantasy friends. :3
July 12, 2018
Review incoming.
February 10, 2017
5 Stars
‘Your employers should consult those who make the corpses. We merely clean up after them. Death is our business, Captain. Business is always good in Cier’Djaal.’
Sam Sykes has to be the first author whose book I've picked up solely based on personality. I used to devour high fantasy, to the point where it was almost all I read, but that did lead to the conundrum where everything I read felt a little…the same? I read a lot of science fiction, young adult, some classics, even a little contemporary, but I was looking for something to draw me back into the high fantasy fold.
I'd been following Sam for a while on twitter because he seemed fun and there was a high concentration of writing discussion, owls and dogs on his feed. Eventually I did indeed 'BUY [his] BOOK' and I will admit, I didn't think his personality would translate into the text because, from past experience, 'swords and sorcery' never had much of a sense of humour.
I am pleased to say that I was very much mistaken.
The book opens with our battle weary young protagonist, Lenk, on 'some crappy little boat' making the decision that he really ought to put down his sword and place his killing days well in his past. I think that you can already guess that he doesn't really get a chance to even act on that decision before he is thrust once more into fighting, killing and general tomfoolery. You see, he'd love to settle down, but you can't retire without gold, and the gold he thought was coming his way is now in the pocket of a priest somewhere in the city of Cier'Djaal.
Except, the priest isn't a priest, a gang footwar is brewing, the giant spiders that make the silk are feeding on something less than wholesome, and the city is full of demons…
I loved this book.
The monsters are really monsters. We're not talking vaguely humanoid creatures with boobs, we're talking dragonmen, demons that haul their way out of peoples mouths and cloaked, multi-armed creatures with paintings for faces. It's delightfully weird.
It feels like that D&D campaign you'd play if you were funnier, more intelligent and more imaginative than you think you are.
The characters are really something else. Amoral yet loyal, sarcastic, running from their pasts, trying desperately, and failing, to care less and be more detached. A motley crew comprised of a reluctant young warrior, a shict far from home, a seven foot dragonman, a thief, a priestess and a boy wizard. A combination that shouldn't lead to anything less than Armageddon (and, in its own way, does) but actually tends to hilarity and genuine emotional upheaval.
This is maybe not a book for the squeamish, or those without a slightly twisted sense of humour, but I genuinely adored it. A surprise favourite for sure.
So if you like your fantasy wildly imaginative, gory and darkly funny then this is definitely the author for you.
‘Your employers should consult those who make the corpses. We merely clean up after them. Death is our business, Captain. Business is always good in Cier’Djaal.’
Sam Sykes has to be the first author whose book I've picked up solely based on personality. I used to devour high fantasy, to the point where it was almost all I read, but that did lead to the conundrum where everything I read felt a little…the same? I read a lot of science fiction, young adult, some classics, even a little contemporary, but I was looking for something to draw me back into the high fantasy fold.
I'd been following Sam for a while on twitter because he seemed fun and there was a high concentration of writing discussion, owls and dogs on his feed. Eventually I did indeed 'BUY [his] BOOK' and I will admit, I didn't think his personality would translate into the text because, from past experience, 'swords and sorcery' never had much of a sense of humour.
I am pleased to say that I was very much mistaken.
The book opens with our battle weary young protagonist, Lenk, on 'some crappy little boat' making the decision that he really ought to put down his sword and place his killing days well in his past. I think that you can already guess that he doesn't really get a chance to even act on that decision before he is thrust once more into fighting, killing and general tomfoolery. You see, he'd love to settle down, but you can't retire without gold, and the gold he thought was coming his way is now in the pocket of a priest somewhere in the city of Cier'Djaal.
Except, the priest isn't a priest, a gang footwar is brewing, the giant spiders that make the silk are feeding on something less than wholesome, and the city is full of demons…
I loved this book.
The monsters are really monsters. We're not talking vaguely humanoid creatures with boobs, we're talking dragonmen, demons that haul their way out of peoples mouths and cloaked, multi-armed creatures with paintings for faces. It's delightfully weird.
It feels like that D&D campaign you'd play if you were funnier, more intelligent and more imaginative than you think you are.
The characters are really something else. Amoral yet loyal, sarcastic, running from their pasts, trying desperately, and failing, to care less and be more detached. A motley crew comprised of a reluctant young warrior, a shict far from home, a seven foot dragonman, a thief, a priestess and a boy wizard. A combination that shouldn't lead to anything less than Armageddon (and, in its own way, does) but actually tends to hilarity and genuine emotional upheaval.
This is maybe not a book for the squeamish, or those without a slightly twisted sense of humour, but I genuinely adored it. A surprise favourite for sure.
So if you like your fantasy wildly imaginative, gory and darkly funny then this is definitely the author for you.
March 20, 2015
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2015/0...
I’m going to come right out and say, this is not quite how I would typically write a review. My reviews are usually filled with my reaction to the book, but this one has more reaction and less detail than normal. So, you’ve been forewarned.
When I started this book I was quite taken and was expecting a very quick read because initially it was. This book has a ton of action and some fun characters that seemed to be in the middle of “something” but you really didn’t know what. I had no idea this is a follow up series to Aeon’s Gates. Perhaps that is a “Shame on me” for not doing my homework. But I’ll be honest, I kind of wished I had known that.
Initially I felt like the style of this book was similar to The Black Company or Malazan where there reader is just dumped in the middle of events and expected to pick up the story as it is told. I liked those books, I enjoy being a go-with-the-flow type of reader. But then I started recognizing a couple of key phrases. I may not have read Sykes’ first series, but I was familiar with the titles. So when I saw “Tome of the Undergates” and “Aeon’s Gates” and in a way where they were referred to in relation to past events, I quickly realized I was not reading a completely fresh new series, but a continuation of the old one. Readers of the first series would not feel like they were “dumped” into the story because they would know exactly what was going on. Now, in all fairness, I did pick up on the characters and understand the group dynamic. One of the strengths of this book is the fun group dynamic. I also don’t think it took me long at all to get up to speed.
As for the book, there are some fun characters, and did I mention there is serious amounts of action? There are spiders that sustain the City with their silk production. Huge/towering spiders! They are revered and guarded because without them, the city would be nothing. I enjoyed that, as well as the atmosphere of the City which was rather dark.
I did find the middle of the book slowed down for me and it took a while to regain my interest. Honestly, I never felt as engaged with the book as I did in the very beginning, which is a little disappointing. But keep in mind, I felt it started out incredibly strong. So, don’t read this and think it’s a bad book, it’s just maybe not quite as good as I had hoped.
When it comes down to it, this is a decent read, my opinion of it may be a bit middle of the road. For fans of the first series, I would imagine you want to continue. For new readers, you can definitely start with this one, just realize if you want to read the first series after this, you will have some idea of the future of the characters.
I’m going to come right out and say, this is not quite how I would typically write a review. My reviews are usually filled with my reaction to the book, but this one has more reaction and less detail than normal. So, you’ve been forewarned.
When I started this book I was quite taken and was expecting a very quick read because initially it was. This book has a ton of action and some fun characters that seemed to be in the middle of “something” but you really didn’t know what. I had no idea this is a follow up series to Aeon’s Gates. Perhaps that is a “Shame on me” for not doing my homework. But I’ll be honest, I kind of wished I had known that.
Initially I felt like the style of this book was similar to The Black Company or Malazan where there reader is just dumped in the middle of events and expected to pick up the story as it is told. I liked those books, I enjoy being a go-with-the-flow type of reader. But then I started recognizing a couple of key phrases. I may not have read Sykes’ first series, but I was familiar with the titles. So when I saw “Tome of the Undergates” and “Aeon’s Gates” and in a way where they were referred to in relation to past events, I quickly realized I was not reading a completely fresh new series, but a continuation of the old one. Readers of the first series would not feel like they were “dumped” into the story because they would know exactly what was going on. Now, in all fairness, I did pick up on the characters and understand the group dynamic. One of the strengths of this book is the fun group dynamic. I also don’t think it took me long at all to get up to speed.
As for the book, there are some fun characters, and did I mention there is serious amounts of action? There are spiders that sustain the City with their silk production. Huge/towering spiders! They are revered and guarded because without them, the city would be nothing. I enjoyed that, as well as the atmosphere of the City which was rather dark.
I did find the middle of the book slowed down for me and it took a while to regain my interest. Honestly, I never felt as engaged with the book as I did in the very beginning, which is a little disappointing. But keep in mind, I felt it started out incredibly strong. So, don’t read this and think it’s a bad book, it’s just maybe not quite as good as I had hoped.
When it comes down to it, this is a decent read, my opinion of it may be a bit middle of the road. For fans of the first series, I would imagine you want to continue. For new readers, you can definitely start with this one, just realize if you want to read the first series after this, you will have some idea of the future of the characters.
December 7, 2014
This book was freaking fantastic! Sam Sykes has crafted a unique, refreshing epic fantasy book with engaging characters, a well-drawn world, and a complex plot. There was never a dull moment in the book and I can honestly say Sam Sykes deserves much more recognition for his work. The man has this bizarre talent of making the reader feel both elated and sad at the same time while still managing to keep you interested throughout the entire story. It was so good, I actually took the time to read it rather than devouring it in one sitting. I desperately wanted the story to continue and could not bear to leave behind such a wonderful cast of conflicted characters.
I had a rough time of deciding which character was my favorite and could not narrow it down to just one or two.
For those who have not read it yet, I highly recommended picking this up! The book is currently 1.99 on Amazon and I am unsure of how long it will last, so hurry up and buy it.
http://www.amazon.com/City-Stained-Br...
I'm sad that I have to wait until next year to read the second book, I will dive into his previous trilogy which is set in the same world as The City Stained Red.
I had a rough time of deciding which character was my favorite and could not narrow it down to just one or two.
For those who have not read it yet, I highly recommended picking this up! The book is currently 1.99 on Amazon and I am unsure of how long it will last, so hurry up and buy it.
http://www.amazon.com/City-Stained-Br...
I'm sad that I have to wait until next year to read the second book, I will dive into his previous trilogy which is set in the same world as The City Stained Red.
July 9, 2015
I enjoyed the sarcasm, the humour, the blunt talk and the action that begins at the beginning and then doesn't let up till the end.
January 26, 2016
1/19/16
I wanted to do a little something different with my review, so I'm going to review this book as I read it. I've only read; thus far; 7 chapters in THE CITY STAINED RED, and there was enough for me to comment on that I had to put something down.
The book so far is a nice little read, but I do have to agree with some of the previous reviewers. Right out of the gate (no pun intended for the first chapter), we are introduced to a group of "adventurers" (as they call themselves), which is comprised of a handful of Dungeons & Dragons-esque castoffs. A white mage, a swordsman, a wizard, thief, a large brawler monster, and an elf-like archer. And they are all trying to get into a town with a cliche' fantasy name (even has an apostrophe in it!)
And of course, this D&D castoff group just *has* to fit it's gaming stereotypes. The Elf and White Mage are both female. The wizard is cocky. Nobody likes the brawler monsters race. The thief has a shady past he's trying to escape, and the swordsman is trying to hang up his sword for a better life. It's so full of fantasy cliches' and stereotypes thus far it makes my head spin.
At first, I wasn't quite sure how this book was meant to be written. Grim-Dark? Humorous? Was it supposed to be lighthearted or taken seriously? I really couldn't tell. I've come to the conclusion that this book is written to be lighthearted. And with that said, I guess I can understand all the D&D characters. This isn't technically a book I normally would read (full of fantasy monsters), but it doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable, thus far.
Anyways, if I sit aside my biased-ness against the tropes mentioned above, I guess my main complaint so far would be the dialogue. It's easy to read, I will give it that. But it is written very haphazardly and as if it was written in modern-day lingo (not fitting the book at times). For instance, (I can't remember the exact quote, forgive me), he talks about something being as bad as donkeys balls. And it repeats it twice in a row. I'm sorry but this seems more like a person in High School would have written it. I remember also reading something along the lines of "he does not give a shit". Once again...it was written as if it was in real-life lingo and not in the style/prose that the book is trying to achieve. I have no issue with cursing, but when it is structured the way it is, it cheapens the story and makes it look very amateurish.
Also, if I read Lenk saying one more time that he's "killed men, monsters, etc" one more time, I'm going to gouge out my eyes with an olive fork. Seriously, *every single time* he's in the scene he brings this up. We get it, Lenk. No need to bring it up every second.
I guess so far my last issue at the moment is the way the POV's are handled. I get it, you want each one of your characters to be a POV. But the problem this book is running into is, you have two POV's that are right next to each other, yet Sam felt the need to switch the characters heads mid-stream in a chapter. What good was that? What was the point? The two characters are standing next to one another, experiencing the same conflict. Swapping heads at that point (mid chapter even), just confuses the reader. Unless it's two characters experiencing totally different conflicts in the story, please just stick with one POV for a chapter.
At this point, i'll continue reading. It *is* an enjoyable read, but not something that is really "hooking me" to read non-stop until i finish it. I've been reading here at work so It will probably take me a few months to finish. Not sure yet if I will read the sequels, we'll see how it goes.
Well, lets hope things at least get more interesting in the next 500 pages.
1/22/16
So now, I'm about halfway through the book, chapter 23. Action did pick up some, but I'm struggling with the overall plot. There was a giant battle and everyone was together. But the next thing I know...everyone is separated and doing their own thing, meeting characters from their past. Maybe I missed something in the text, but it's unclear to me just *how* everyone got separated and started to do their own thing. The last 10 or so chapters seem to be nothing but info-dumping about their past as well. That's fine, I guess, I just wish it was not so blatantly obvious from a book structure sense.
Speaking of structure...I'm halfway done the book and I *still* don't quite understand why all these characters are in this city, or what they are after. What is their end game? Their goals? Objectives? Why are they in this bloody desert town? Halfway through the book, and I feel like I should at least have an inkling of this. Of course, I could have overlooked it.
Oh, one other note on what I've seen thus far....every character in this book talks the same. There is no "life" to them as of yet. I read Asper the same way I read Lenk. Asper talks about the death around her the same way Lenk does. And they all talk about "killing" like it's a normal thing to them...something as easy as eating an apple. Really no character differentials that make them stand out from one another.
I'll keep reading. It's an enjoyable, light hearted read, but nothing thus far jumps out at me as being "wow!".
1/26/16
So I finished the book. Much quicker then I anticipated. But I do have to admit, I found myself skimming near the 60% mark.
Overall, It was a fun little book, but honestly, it confused the crap out of me. One moment everyone was together. The next, they were apart doing their own thing. Then they were back together again?
The book had some serious pacing and plotting issues. I never truly understood why they even WENT to that city. Maybe it was explained somewhere in there and I missed it? I'm not sure. Then they chased a guy around and it was never clear to me why either.
Another issue I had was the POV voices. Everyone "read" the same...in other words, every character felt to be exactly the same, to the point where I sometimes had trouble figuring out who's head I was in. They all spoke the same verbiage, had the same mannerisms,
The last major issue I noticed was that the book felt very chunky. You essentially had three parts...when everyone was together. Then everyone individually. Then everyone back together. You only got back story really on anyone when they where apart, and that was the *only* time you got back story on them. The portion of the book when everyone was separate served as nothing more then giant info-dumps for the characters and did not move the plot forward any.
Speaking of plot...going back to my point above...what WAS the plot? There seemed to be no main "goal" for any of these characters. They were all in this city for some unknown reason, chasing some dude that was never explained, and demons starting appearing with no explanation. And all the character development happened in 2-3 chapter info-dumps in the center of the book. Not very good pacing, in my opinion. When you are reading a book, you shouldn't be able to easily see the structured outline that was used to write it. That was not the case with this one.
Oh, and I read "Kill kill kill" one more time I'm going to gouge out my eyes with an olive fork. Everyone LOVES to talk about killing and how much they've killed in this book. Sam really drove this point home so often that it made me dizzy. Even poor little Asper the white mage talked about killing like it was nothing special.
It wasn't all bad though. I *did* find Sam's writing style to be easily read (even though it didn't have individual voices), so I think that's what contributed me to being able to read this entire book in a week. I think he had a good idea going with this book, it was just poorly executed.
Sadly, I don't think I'll read the sequel, unless it goes for 1.99 on my Nook like this one did. I cannot see myself dropping any more than that on this series.
I wanted to do a little something different with my review, so I'm going to review this book as I read it. I've only read; thus far; 7 chapters in THE CITY STAINED RED, and there was enough for me to comment on that I had to put something down.
The book so far is a nice little read, but I do have to agree with some of the previous reviewers. Right out of the gate (no pun intended for the first chapter), we are introduced to a group of "adventurers" (as they call themselves), which is comprised of a handful of Dungeons & Dragons-esque castoffs. A white mage, a swordsman, a wizard, thief, a large brawler monster, and an elf-like archer. And they are all trying to get into a town with a cliche' fantasy name (even has an apostrophe in it!)
And of course, this D&D castoff group just *has* to fit it's gaming stereotypes. The Elf and White Mage are both female. The wizard is cocky. Nobody likes the brawler monsters race. The thief has a shady past he's trying to escape, and the swordsman is trying to hang up his sword for a better life. It's so full of fantasy cliches' and stereotypes thus far it makes my head spin.
At first, I wasn't quite sure how this book was meant to be written. Grim-Dark? Humorous? Was it supposed to be lighthearted or taken seriously? I really couldn't tell. I've come to the conclusion that this book is written to be lighthearted. And with that said, I guess I can understand all the D&D characters. This isn't technically a book I normally would read (full of fantasy monsters), but it doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable, thus far.
Anyways, if I sit aside my biased-ness against the tropes mentioned above, I guess my main complaint so far would be the dialogue. It's easy to read, I will give it that. But it is written very haphazardly and as if it was written in modern-day lingo (not fitting the book at times). For instance, (I can't remember the exact quote, forgive me), he talks about something being as bad as donkeys balls. And it repeats it twice in a row. I'm sorry but this seems more like a person in High School would have written it. I remember also reading something along the lines of "he does not give a shit". Once again...it was written as if it was in real-life lingo and not in the style/prose that the book is trying to achieve. I have no issue with cursing, but when it is structured the way it is, it cheapens the story and makes it look very amateurish.
Also, if I read Lenk saying one more time that he's "killed men, monsters, etc" one more time, I'm going to gouge out my eyes with an olive fork. Seriously, *every single time* he's in the scene he brings this up. We get it, Lenk. No need to bring it up every second.
I guess so far my last issue at the moment is the way the POV's are handled. I get it, you want each one of your characters to be a POV. But the problem this book is running into is, you have two POV's that are right next to each other, yet Sam felt the need to switch the characters heads mid-stream in a chapter. What good was that? What was the point? The two characters are standing next to one another, experiencing the same conflict. Swapping heads at that point (mid chapter even), just confuses the reader. Unless it's two characters experiencing totally different conflicts in the story, please just stick with one POV for a chapter.
At this point, i'll continue reading. It *is* an enjoyable read, but not something that is really "hooking me" to read non-stop until i finish it. I've been reading here at work so It will probably take me a few months to finish. Not sure yet if I will read the sequels, we'll see how it goes.
Well, lets hope things at least get more interesting in the next 500 pages.
1/22/16
So now, I'm about halfway through the book, chapter 23. Action did pick up some, but I'm struggling with the overall plot. There was a giant battle and everyone was together. But the next thing I know...everyone is separated and doing their own thing, meeting characters from their past. Maybe I missed something in the text, but it's unclear to me just *how* everyone got separated and started to do their own thing. The last 10 or so chapters seem to be nothing but info-dumping about their past as well. That's fine, I guess, I just wish it was not so blatantly obvious from a book structure sense.
Speaking of structure...I'm halfway done the book and I *still* don't quite understand why all these characters are in this city, or what they are after. What is their end game? Their goals? Objectives? Why are they in this bloody desert town? Halfway through the book, and I feel like I should at least have an inkling of this. Of course, I could have overlooked it.
Oh, one other note on what I've seen thus far....every character in this book talks the same. There is no "life" to them as of yet. I read Asper the same way I read Lenk. Asper talks about the death around her the same way Lenk does. And they all talk about "killing" like it's a normal thing to them...something as easy as eating an apple. Really no character differentials that make them stand out from one another.
I'll keep reading. It's an enjoyable, light hearted read, but nothing thus far jumps out at me as being "wow!".
1/26/16
So I finished the book. Much quicker then I anticipated. But I do have to admit, I found myself skimming near the 60% mark.
Overall, It was a fun little book, but honestly, it confused the crap out of me. One moment everyone was together. The next, they were apart doing their own thing. Then they were back together again?
The book had some serious pacing and plotting issues. I never truly understood why they even WENT to that city. Maybe it was explained somewhere in there and I missed it? I'm not sure. Then they chased a guy around and it was never clear to me why either.
Another issue I had was the POV voices. Everyone "read" the same...in other words, every character felt to be exactly the same, to the point where I sometimes had trouble figuring out who's head I was in. They all spoke the same verbiage, had the same mannerisms,
The last major issue I noticed was that the book felt very chunky. You essentially had three parts...when everyone was together. Then everyone individually. Then everyone back together. You only got back story really on anyone when they where apart, and that was the *only* time you got back story on them. The portion of the book when everyone was separate served as nothing more then giant info-dumps for the characters and did not move the plot forward any.
Speaking of plot...going back to my point above...what WAS the plot? There seemed to be no main "goal" for any of these characters. They were all in this city for some unknown reason, chasing some dude that was never explained, and demons starting appearing with no explanation. And all the character development happened in 2-3 chapter info-dumps in the center of the book. Not very good pacing, in my opinion. When you are reading a book, you shouldn't be able to easily see the structured outline that was used to write it. That was not the case with this one.
Oh, and I read "Kill kill kill" one more time I'm going to gouge out my eyes with an olive fork. Everyone LOVES to talk about killing and how much they've killed in this book. Sam really drove this point home so often that it made me dizzy. Even poor little Asper the white mage talked about killing like it was nothing special.
It wasn't all bad though. I *did* find Sam's writing style to be easily read (even though it didn't have individual voices), so I think that's what contributed me to being able to read this entire book in a week. I think he had a good idea going with this book, it was just poorly executed.
Sadly, I don't think I'll read the sequel, unless it goes for 1.99 on my Nook like this one did. I cannot see myself dropping any more than that on this series.
April 16, 2021
This is an incomprehensible meandering mess which is about 10 times longer than it ought to be. I read the full book since it is authored by Sam Sykes. But naw, skip it.
February 16, 2019
City Stained Red is a fun adventure with strong characters and exciting action sequences. I would have liked to see a little more depth in the world-building and a richer plot, but this story definitely hooked me early and never let go.
One of my favorite attributes was the differing viewpoint characters. They all had unique perspectives and a distinct feel. Sykes also did a great job developing characters that you care about and want to continue onward in their journey
Recommend this book for fans of fantasy, but especially those who enjoy heavy action. This might not work the best for Fantasy readers who are looking for a more traditional epic with lots of world-building, history, etc.
One of my favorite attributes was the differing viewpoint characters. They all had unique perspectives and a distinct feel. Sykes also did a great job developing characters that you care about and want to continue onward in their journey
Recommend this book for fans of fantasy, but especially those who enjoy heavy action. This might not work the best for Fantasy readers who are looking for a more traditional epic with lots of world-building, history, etc.
September 8, 2016
The City Stained Red might be the first book I’ve read based solely on the author’s social media presence. And that’s not to say that I doubted the book’s quality (I didn’t) or that it didn’t sound interesting (it did). But just that Sam Sykes is one of my favorite personalities on Twitter and it made me curious to read one of his books, even if that book’s genre isn’t my #1 thing (more like a #5). Somehow coming across as both the lunatic and the wise man, Sykes offers wisdom on creative storytelling and also ponders whether or not manatees have strong opinions on anime. I love reading his latest bits of inspired madness. So, I bought his book.
The City Stained Red is my kind of a fantasy novel. Instead of focusing on kings, manners at the table, the ranks of knights, and all the other stuff that the royals and their militaries are involved with, this book follows a small group of adventurers, a profession that’s not well regarded in-world.
The adventurers are led by Lenk, a skilled swordsman who wishes to set aside his blade even though destiny keeps calling for further bloodshed. Lenk is joined by his kinda-sorta girlfriend Kataria, a shict (think: elf) who wants to remain with Lenk but only on her terms. They’re aided by the rogue Denaos, a man with a mysterious past and many discarded names. The priestess and healer Asper hopes to be the level-headed member of the group, though she deals with a secret worse than all the others. The most powerful among them is the young wizard Dreadaeleon, but he’s so immature he’s basically a child entrusted with a gun. And filling out the gang in the bruiser role is Gariath the dragonman, who’s basically a bad mood made flesh.
The adventurers arrive in the socially and culturally divided city of Cier'Djaal hoping to collect gold for services rendered. Just getting into the city proves to be a problem at the start, as non-humans (“oids”) are not welcome through the gates. Then, the man who’s supposed to pay them essentially vanishes into thin air, and the gang of adventurers accidentally stumble into the middle of a small-scale holy war. The city of Cier'Djaal is a powderkeg just waiting to explode, so when you introduce a group like Lenk’s gang into the mix… Boom Goes the Dynamite. Hundreds of city folk die, demons crawl out of people’s throats, dragonmen throw down, giant spiders walk down the road like big ol’ cows, and there’s more than a couple moments of sexy fun time to enjoy. Sykes calls it “hot fantasy trash.” I call it 600 pages of fun and madness.
The City Stained Red, like a lot of genre fiction, has a lot on its mind. Each character gets an arc and there’s a great deal of drama and character development. The world-building is rich and detailed, owing little to the giants of the genre (in my opinion, at least) by successfully doing its own thing. And Sykes clearly has something to say about religion and the blood that’s shed in the name of faith and god (any god). The book lets the reader make their own deductions on what to make of the themes, but there’s some deep thoughts lurking beneath the giant spiders and demonic throat coughs.
Mostly though, it’s a fun book. Sykes’ sense of humor that he shows online comes through on the page. His characters deal with dark happenings but there’s always a twinkle of comedy in there somewhere, often with a witty comeback or one-liner. Never is it too goofy that it feels odd to laugh on one page and then recoil in horror on the next, though. Thematic substance is all balanced nicely, and nothing really feels out of place.
The City Stained Red is that rare book where I enjoyed spending time with basically every major character because they were all interesting in some way. Even the one who I didn’t like (the boy wizard is a punk), still featured in some of the book’s finest chapters. The way the character team dynamics work reminded me a bit of a videogame RPG. The characters interact, go off on side quests, report back, and so on. I was reminded of Mass Effect, despite the fact that this was set in a city that owes its economy to giant spiders and was not in fact set in space.
Also: The City Stained Red stars one of my new favorite characters: Gariath the dragonman is the coolest, funniest, meanest badass I’ve read in a long, long while. I would read a book all about Gariath complaining about humans, fighting crime, crushing heads, and saving the world, you know, if he feels like it. Seriously cool character with a surprising amount of depth beneath his hard exterior.
More books need dragonmen.
The City Stained Red is my kind of a fantasy novel. Instead of focusing on kings, manners at the table, the ranks of knights, and all the other stuff that the royals and their militaries are involved with, this book follows a small group of adventurers, a profession that’s not well regarded in-world.
The adventurers are led by Lenk, a skilled swordsman who wishes to set aside his blade even though destiny keeps calling for further bloodshed. Lenk is joined by his kinda-sorta girlfriend Kataria, a shict (think: elf) who wants to remain with Lenk but only on her terms. They’re aided by the rogue Denaos, a man with a mysterious past and many discarded names. The priestess and healer Asper hopes to be the level-headed member of the group, though she deals with a secret worse than all the others. The most powerful among them is the young wizard Dreadaeleon, but he’s so immature he’s basically a child entrusted with a gun. And filling out the gang in the bruiser role is Gariath the dragonman, who’s basically a bad mood made flesh.
The adventurers arrive in the socially and culturally divided city of Cier'Djaal hoping to collect gold for services rendered. Just getting into the city proves to be a problem at the start, as non-humans (“oids”) are not welcome through the gates. Then, the man who’s supposed to pay them essentially vanishes into thin air, and the gang of adventurers accidentally stumble into the middle of a small-scale holy war. The city of Cier'Djaal is a powderkeg just waiting to explode, so when you introduce a group like Lenk’s gang into the mix… Boom Goes the Dynamite. Hundreds of city folk die, demons crawl out of people’s throats, dragonmen throw down, giant spiders walk down the road like big ol’ cows, and there’s more than a couple moments of sexy fun time to enjoy. Sykes calls it “hot fantasy trash.” I call it 600 pages of fun and madness.
The City Stained Red, like a lot of genre fiction, has a lot on its mind. Each character gets an arc and there’s a great deal of drama and character development. The world-building is rich and detailed, owing little to the giants of the genre (in my opinion, at least) by successfully doing its own thing. And Sykes clearly has something to say about religion and the blood that’s shed in the name of faith and god (any god). The book lets the reader make their own deductions on what to make of the themes, but there’s some deep thoughts lurking beneath the giant spiders and demonic throat coughs.
Mostly though, it’s a fun book. Sykes’ sense of humor that he shows online comes through on the page. His characters deal with dark happenings but there’s always a twinkle of comedy in there somewhere, often with a witty comeback or one-liner. Never is it too goofy that it feels odd to laugh on one page and then recoil in horror on the next, though. Thematic substance is all balanced nicely, and nothing really feels out of place.
The City Stained Red is that rare book where I enjoyed spending time with basically every major character because they were all interesting in some way. Even the one who I didn’t like (the boy wizard is a punk), still featured in some of the book’s finest chapters. The way the character team dynamics work reminded me a bit of a videogame RPG. The characters interact, go off on side quests, report back, and so on. I was reminded of Mass Effect, despite the fact that this was set in a city that owes its economy to giant spiders and was not in fact set in space.
Also: The City Stained Red stars one of my new favorite characters: Gariath the dragonman is the coolest, funniest, meanest badass I’ve read in a long, long while. I would read a book all about Gariath complaining about humans, fighting crime, crushing heads, and saving the world, you know, if he feels like it. Seriously cool character with a surprising amount of depth beneath his hard exterior.
More books need dragonmen.
March 15, 2019
Gritty and grim, and, I bet it has echoes of Mark Lawrence and Abercrombie to some extent in context to the mood and morale of the story and its dubious grey characters. It is also bloodier, filled with dry humour and angst on part of some of the unlikely cast that supports the weight of the story. The pacing was uneven in some places, but, Sam Sykes writes with vigour and wit which kept me turning the pages. What Sykes excelled in is creating the atmosphere of tension, and uncertainty that escalates into a violent conflict towards the end. I was expecting some epic setting, but, Sykes did a well job in keeping the action limited to a city, which reminded me little of The Lies of Locke Lamora.
The setting was completely believable. Sykes gives a very vivid picture of the urban life in all its filth, greed, and murderous glory. Cier Djall felt decrepit and claustrophobic, and real. I wouldn't go there for any reason, be it money or silk. And, Sykes develop his plot on this very basis. A group of bickering adventurers come to the city in search of a man who owes them money, and the troubles start following them wherever they go. Sykes brings in a plethora of elements in regards to the setting - there are various races from all over the world trampling in the dirt and muck of the urban civilization for livelihood and money, there are also various religious sects with their own dose of fanaticism, there is organised crime that controls the city's underworld, and the wealthy merchants that control the silk business and coin of the city. The most important element here is religion, and it is from this aspect that the conflict of the entire novel is based upon, other than the motivations of the characters. I think it will be easy to understand the mythology and the worldbuilding better, if the reader has read Sykes previous series An Affinity for Steel: The Aeon's Gate Omnibus, which introduces the characters and their varied adventures.
The characters are complex, and has their own dark and disturbed backgrounds. They are all dynamic and each have their own volatile personality traits. Lenk is a relentless killer, and wishes to put down his sword. He is tired of the mindless killing and wishes to settle down for a normal life. Kataria is a shict (elf-like race, vicious and fearsome) who is conflicted towards her feelings for Lenk. She and her race is despised by the humans, and is hence angry all the time. Asper is a priestess who excels in healing, but, she has a deadly power of her own which she tries to hide. She is kind, but has steel in her and doesn't shy from a fight. Denaos is a former assassin and a thief, and has his own bloody secrets. Draedelon is a child-wizard, an extremely powerful arrogant asshole, selfish who annoys the shit out of others. Gariath is a dragonman, a beatly fighting-machine who cares only about blood and killing. Sykes gives all his characters a distinctive individuality and voice that adds depth to the motivations surrounding the events of the story. The complex relationships between Lenk and his crew is what keeps the story going, giving credibility to the motivations of the characters surrounding the events and circumstances.
There is a lot of action, deaths, and killings in the novel. There are demons. Sykes shifts in multiple perspectives in the narrative, in regards to the principal characters. It broadens the view, but also somewhat slackened the pace. The novel gives an uncompromising view of the essential brutality in human civilization, the lust for life, and also the decrepit hopelessness surrounding it. Lenk is the epitome and catalyst of it, caught unawares in the harshness of a cosmic irony. On a personal level, I in places read the story and characters living in it with a cold detachment, and also warmed to them in some places where I got the chance to see the emotional turmoil, and self-conflict within them. The story I think is more individual than epic, and, I'm eager to see where Sykes takes it.
The setting was completely believable. Sykes gives a very vivid picture of the urban life in all its filth, greed, and murderous glory. Cier Djall felt decrepit and claustrophobic, and real. I wouldn't go there for any reason, be it money or silk. And, Sykes develop his plot on this very basis. A group of bickering adventurers come to the city in search of a man who owes them money, and the troubles start following them wherever they go. Sykes brings in a plethora of elements in regards to the setting - there are various races from all over the world trampling in the dirt and muck of the urban civilization for livelihood and money, there are also various religious sects with their own dose of fanaticism, there is organised crime that controls the city's underworld, and the wealthy merchants that control the silk business and coin of the city. The most important element here is religion, and it is from this aspect that the conflict of the entire novel is based upon, other than the motivations of the characters. I think it will be easy to understand the mythology and the worldbuilding better, if the reader has read Sykes previous series An Affinity for Steel: The Aeon's Gate Omnibus, which introduces the characters and their varied adventures.
The characters are complex, and has their own dark and disturbed backgrounds. They are all dynamic and each have their own volatile personality traits. Lenk is a relentless killer, and wishes to put down his sword. He is tired of the mindless killing and wishes to settle down for a normal life. Kataria is a shict (elf-like race, vicious and fearsome) who is conflicted towards her feelings for Lenk. She and her race is despised by the humans, and is hence angry all the time. Asper is a priestess who excels in healing, but, she has a deadly power of her own which she tries to hide. She is kind, but has steel in her and doesn't shy from a fight. Denaos is a former assassin and a thief, and has his own bloody secrets. Draedelon is a child-wizard, an extremely powerful arrogant asshole, selfish who annoys the shit out of others. Gariath is a dragonman, a beatly fighting-machine who cares only about blood and killing. Sykes gives all his characters a distinctive individuality and voice that adds depth to the motivations surrounding the events of the story. The complex relationships between Lenk and his crew is what keeps the story going, giving credibility to the motivations of the characters surrounding the events and circumstances.
There is a lot of action, deaths, and killings in the novel. There are demons. Sykes shifts in multiple perspectives in the narrative, in regards to the principal characters. It broadens the view, but also somewhat slackened the pace. The novel gives an uncompromising view of the essential brutality in human civilization, the lust for life, and also the decrepit hopelessness surrounding it. Lenk is the epitome and catalyst of it, caught unawares in the harshness of a cosmic irony. On a personal level, I in places read the story and characters living in it with a cold detachment, and also warmed to them in some places where I got the chance to see the emotional turmoil, and self-conflict within them. The story I think is more individual than epic, and, I'm eager to see where Sykes takes it.
May 30, 2018
I hadn't heard of Sam Sykes until I stumbled upon his Twitter. Seeing his humor, commentary, and totally serious writing advice, I followed him and I've enjoyed every bit of it. But as with stumbling across any author for the first time, I felt intimidated to figure out which book of his to start with--until one serendipitous day when I saw a tweet of his advising new readers to start with The City Stained Red.
Just before seeing this tweet, I had decided to turn my back on a fantasy series a lot of friends had recommended to me. I felt bothered, and I couldn't quite shake why. It wasn't that I hated or despised the series, but they definitely did not harmonize with me as a reader or as a writer.
Then I started The City Stained Red.
Very early on, roughly 20% of the way through, I tweeted "After deciding not to finish a fantasy novel and a sci fi novel, I decided to hunker down with a new fantasy novel and I'm so in love. It's like when you move away and you try new restaurants and things taste okay but not the way you remember things tasting as a kid. And then one day you find yourself in your hometown, and that restaurant you always went to with your mom is still open, so you drop by. And suddenly...you're home. The sights, the smells, the sounds...All of it is rich and fulfilling. You remember why you loved it, and why you still do. That's what this book has been. A refresher. A reminder. This book has the elements that made me originally fall in love with fantasy. And not just fantasy. It has the things that made me realize I wanted to be a storyteller. God, this book is so delightful and wonderful."
Throughout the rest of the book, this feeling of returning home never left. From the start, I loved the characters and the setting (I mean, who doesn't love streetside curry served in a city breeding cults with horse-sized spiders spinning silk on a giant spire, am I right??).
Most of the tropes that I expected to occur were turned on their heads and served to me in natural, refreshing ways that I haven't seen in a long time. The tropes that stayed were still so well-written that it didn't bother me in the slightest. Sykes delivers on subtle promises he makes with various characters--one such deliverance made me literally holler in excitement. Not to mention that the way Sykes treats magic is astounding and powerfully provocative. There's something in his descriptions of Dreadaeleon that really impressed me throughout the novel.
For fear of reducing into long-winded, unnecessary stumbling and fumbling of words and reasons why I love and adore this book as much as I do, I'll leave it here. And, in Sam Sykes's own, famous words--Buy his book!
Just before seeing this tweet, I had decided to turn my back on a fantasy series a lot of friends had recommended to me. I felt bothered, and I couldn't quite shake why. It wasn't that I hated or despised the series, but they definitely did not harmonize with me as a reader or as a writer.
Then I started The City Stained Red.
Very early on, roughly 20% of the way through, I tweeted "After deciding not to finish a fantasy novel and a sci fi novel, I decided to hunker down with a new fantasy novel and I'm so in love. It's like when you move away and you try new restaurants and things taste okay but not the way you remember things tasting as a kid. And then one day you find yourself in your hometown, and that restaurant you always went to with your mom is still open, so you drop by. And suddenly...you're home. The sights, the smells, the sounds...All of it is rich and fulfilling. You remember why you loved it, and why you still do. That's what this book has been. A refresher. A reminder. This book has the elements that made me originally fall in love with fantasy. And not just fantasy. It has the things that made me realize I wanted to be a storyteller. God, this book is so delightful and wonderful."
Throughout the rest of the book, this feeling of returning home never left. From the start, I loved the characters and the setting (I mean, who doesn't love streetside curry served in a city breeding cults with horse-sized spiders spinning silk on a giant spire, am I right??).
Most of the tropes that I expected to occur were turned on their heads and served to me in natural, refreshing ways that I haven't seen in a long time. The tropes that stayed were still so well-written that it didn't bother me in the slightest. Sykes delivers on subtle promises he makes with various characters--one such deliverance made me literally holler in excitement. Not to mention that the way Sykes treats magic is astounding and powerfully provocative. There's something in his descriptions of Dreadaeleon that really impressed me throughout the novel.
For fear of reducing into long-winded, unnecessary stumbling and fumbling of words and reasons why I love and adore this book as much as I do, I'll leave it here. And, in Sam Sykes's own, famous words--Buy his book!
July 6, 2018
My DND group read this for our book club; I recommended it based on the reviews saying it reads like a DND romp-- which it does, sort of. It's also messy and slow-moving plotwise and riddled with basic craft errors any professional editor should have taken a machete to, like, three drafts ago. (Headhopping!!!!! unnecessary filtering!!!!! WHY WAS THERE HEADHOPPING IN THIS PUBLISHED BOOK.) Five of us read this and NONE of us came up with net positive feelings (there was MUCH angry group chat yelling) and I am now in book-nominating purgatory until further notice.
The first 2/3rds of the book feel like pure set-up for events that ultimately are only MORE set up for the next books, the 6 POVs, particularly when all six characters spend half the book completely separated, slow us down massively (and suffer from a bad case of sameiness in voice, the three human male characters in particular), and Sam Sykes' brand of wit is likeable but applied with haphazard abandon, often breaking POV or convoluting prose to squeeze in nuggets of cleverness that we don't REALLY need. The characters are fairly consistent and interesting with the unfortunate exception of Lenk, whose main struggle (to retire from adventuring and start a peaceful life despite an unnatural proclivity for bloodshed) fails to develop over the course of the book; his angst (and hard-to-root-for relationship with Kataria) wears very thin after act 1 and his status as ostensible "main" character drags us down hard. Narrative beats misfire or fail to pay off, almost every chapter starts off as a ponderous drag, and the proliferation of NPCs (which is most certainly what they are) is a little exhausting to keep track of across six POVs having separate escapades.
There are good elements here-- a couple inventive creatures, a vividly-drawn city at war, decent action, some clever dialogue, and Kataria, Asper, and Gariath as characters grappling with the core of their identities and their place in a violent world, but the overall story is so underwhelming and undercut by basic craft errors that I honestly can't rate this any higher. We had to triple-check that this was this author's FOURTH book-- it feels like a first.
The first 2/3rds of the book feel like pure set-up for events that ultimately are only MORE set up for the next books, the 6 POVs, particularly when all six characters spend half the book completely separated, slow us down massively (and suffer from a bad case of sameiness in voice, the three human male characters in particular), and Sam Sykes' brand of wit is likeable but applied with haphazard abandon, often breaking POV or convoluting prose to squeeze in nuggets of cleverness that we don't REALLY need. The characters are fairly consistent and interesting with the unfortunate exception of Lenk, whose main struggle (to retire from adventuring and start a peaceful life despite an unnatural proclivity for bloodshed) fails to develop over the course of the book; his angst (and hard-to-root-for relationship with Kataria) wears very thin after act 1 and his status as ostensible "main" character drags us down hard. Narrative beats misfire or fail to pay off, almost every chapter starts off as a ponderous drag, and the proliferation of NPCs (which is most certainly what they are) is a little exhausting to keep track of across six POVs having separate escapades.
There are good elements here-- a couple inventive creatures, a vividly-drawn city at war, decent action, some clever dialogue, and Kataria, Asper, and Gariath as characters grappling with the core of their identities and their place in a violent world, but the overall story is so underwhelming and undercut by basic craft errors that I honestly can't rate this any higher. We had to triple-check that this was this author's FOURTH book-- it feels like a first.
March 8, 2015
Sam Sykes talked me into buying his book on Twitter, with his very entertaining "Buy my book," twitter campaign. I'd never picked up one of his books before and, quite frankly, had no idea who he was when I started following him on Twitter. All that to say, I had no idea what I was getting into when I bought this book, other than that it was fantasy and that its author is entertaining on Twitter. Purchasing it was an experiment, and I have to say I have enjoyed the results.
As promised by Sykes, I didn't need to read the prior three books to enjoy and understand the current book. That said, the characters clearly have back story together, which I now find myself thinking I would like to go back and read. The characters were consistent, and we saw character development as the plot progressed. I did find myself occasionally thinking, "How have these characters gotten to this point?" in response to some of their behaviors. A lot of those questions were clarified as the book progressed.The plot was quick-paced and kept me interested throughout. I had a hard time putting it down when it was necessary to get back to real world demands. I enjoyed the book, and it got me to sit down a read a book at a time when I have been predominantly listening to audiobooks due to trying to manage a busy schedule and demanding work load. It's a bit of a feat that this book kept me coming back to it despite other distractions.
The catch is, I'm not sure I would recommend it to people who don't love reading fantasy, simply because the book is deeply based in fantasy and the divide might be too much to bridge for some those who don't mind some fantasy but have a hard time getting into completely new worlds. That said, the book parallels and draws attention to many real life issues of corruption, greed, poverty, death, racism, and power imbalances, as good fantasy does. I would highly recommend it to action/adventure fantasy lovers. Also, follow Sam Sykes on Twitter...you will be entertained.
As promised by Sykes, I didn't need to read the prior three books to enjoy and understand the current book. That said, the characters clearly have back story together, which I now find myself thinking I would like to go back and read. The characters were consistent, and we saw character development as the plot progressed. I did find myself occasionally thinking, "How have these characters gotten to this point?" in response to some of their behaviors. A lot of those questions were clarified as the book progressed.The plot was quick-paced and kept me interested throughout. I had a hard time putting it down when it was necessary to get back to real world demands. I enjoyed the book, and it got me to sit down a read a book at a time when I have been predominantly listening to audiobooks due to trying to manage a busy schedule and demanding work load. It's a bit of a feat that this book kept me coming back to it despite other distractions.
The catch is, I'm not sure I would recommend it to people who don't love reading fantasy, simply because the book is deeply based in fantasy and the divide might be too much to bridge for some those who don't mind some fantasy but have a hard time getting into completely new worlds. That said, the book parallels and draws attention to many real life issues of corruption, greed, poverty, death, racism, and power imbalances, as good fantasy does. I would highly recommend it to action/adventure fantasy lovers. Also, follow Sam Sykes on Twitter...you will be entertained.
January 2, 2015
From the title and premise of this book I expected to like it but I was surprised by how much I liked it.
Lenk and his band of adventurers have come to largest city and trading center of their world, chasing money due. For Lenk, this is to be his last job and he hopes to put up his sword forever. For the others, coming to the city of Cier'Djaal all means something different for each of them. However, as we know how laid plans go; it's all up for grabs when the all the factions in control go to war that was sparked by a fanatical cult and what they try to resurrect
The first thing I liked about The City Stained Red was how Sykes handled having multiple non-human races. Thanks to the likes of Erik Stevenson and Daniel Abraham, I'd come to expect books that contain many different non-human races, to be confusing and a bit flat for me because I spent the whole book trying to figure out what these creatures are and which one is which. Sykes lets his readers know what his races are -what the look and act like- and they are all interesting. Not only do we get elves and Orc-like creatures but badass dragonmen too.
But what made me love this story was when every character became interesting to me. Lenk and his band of misfits are much like the typical D&D trope. There's Lenk the leader and hardened killer, his elf girlfriend, a thief, a priestess, a sorcery, and a dragonman who serves as the super-warrrior. So I had kinda chalked them all up as your typical fantasy clichés and didn't expect to care about them all. As the story goes and each character's motivation is realized, those clichés were out the window.
So looking forward to the next Bring Down Heaven. While book #1 is solidly self-contained, a deal is struck that can't be backed out of and the reader is left with no real clear direction that book #2 will take or even if all the main players will be in the next one. I like that, I like that a lot.
Lenk and his band of adventurers have come to largest city and trading center of their world, chasing money due. For Lenk, this is to be his last job and he hopes to put up his sword forever. For the others, coming to the city of Cier'Djaal all means something different for each of them. However, as we know how laid plans go; it's all up for grabs when the all the factions in control go to war that was sparked by a fanatical cult and what they try to resurrect
The first thing I liked about The City Stained Red was how Sykes handled having multiple non-human races. Thanks to the likes of Erik Stevenson and Daniel Abraham, I'd come to expect books that contain many different non-human races, to be confusing and a bit flat for me because I spent the whole book trying to figure out what these creatures are and which one is which. Sykes lets his readers know what his races are -what the look and act like- and they are all interesting. Not only do we get elves and Orc-like creatures but badass dragonmen too.
But what made me love this story was when every character became interesting to me. Lenk and his band of misfits are much like the typical D&D trope. There's Lenk the leader and hardened killer, his elf girlfriend, a thief, a priestess, a sorcery, and a dragonman who serves as the super-warrrior. So I had kinda chalked them all up as your typical fantasy clichés and didn't expect to care about them all. As the story goes and each character's motivation is realized, those clichés were out the window.
So looking forward to the next Bring Down Heaven. While book #1 is solidly self-contained, a deal is struck that can't be backed out of and the reader is left with no real clear direction that book #2 will take or even if all the main players will be in the next one. I like that, I like that a lot.
July 18, 2017
The City Stained Red is a novel that heavily focuses on the characters and not so much about a clear plot. You get to follow them around as they try to figure out their place in the city (and in life), and it works very well since the characters are fully developed with clear motivations for their actions.
The characters themselves are an interesting bunch of broken people (and a Dragonman). The dynamic between them is fun and interesting, and I especially enjoyed their distinct voices. Sam Sykes writes great dialogue.
There's a lot of fighting and a lot of humour in the City Stained Red, but also deeper themes that I think is balanced perfectly. I won't go deeper into that since I think it's up for the readers to discover themselves.
My only gripe with the book is that because it's so heavily focused on the characters, the pacing is a bit uneven. This makes sense in the context of story (a bunch of people not really sure what they're doing) but it does slow down the story. I expected things to really pick up around the 75% mark but it didn't. I'd even say there was more action in the first half of the book rather than the latter.
Anyhow, I'll definitely pick up the second book in this trilogy (last one comes out later this year) to see what destiny awaits these adventurers.
The characters themselves are an interesting bunch of broken people (and a Dragonman). The dynamic between them is fun and interesting, and I especially enjoyed their distinct voices. Sam Sykes writes great dialogue.
There's a lot of fighting and a lot of humour in the City Stained Red, but also deeper themes that I think is balanced perfectly. I won't go deeper into that since I think it's up for the readers to discover themselves.
My only gripe with the book is that because it's so heavily focused on the characters, the pacing is a bit uneven. This makes sense in the context of story (a bunch of people not really sure what they're doing) but it does slow down the story. I expected things to really pick up around the 75% mark but it didn't. I'd even say there was more action in the first half of the book rather than the latter.
Anyhow, I'll definitely pick up the second book in this trilogy (last one comes out later this year) to see what destiny awaits these adventurers.
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