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The Sorcerous Crimes Division #1
Devilbone
Kaharas is one of the largest free cities on the continent of Varshon, a melting pot of humanoid species traveling, trading, and making a life for themselves. As all large cities, it attracts a substantial amount of crime largely ignored by the city's civil watch. But when the sorcerers of six races come together, sometimes the friction is bound to make things a bit hot. Enter: The Sorcerous Crimes Division. The S.C.D. is an organization of mage-adept constables dedicated to investigating and policing magical crime in the city of Kaharas. They spend their nights chasing rogue wizards, locking away dangerous artifacts, and just making sure citizens don’t wake up with their feet melted off.
In Devilbone, Commander Vulfort struggles with a growing problem of sorcerous contraband within the city that reaches a breaking point when an ancient necromantic reagent called Devilbone Dust, one of 14 forbidden substances, is discovered just outside the city. Meanwhile, Private Tanner has just arrived at the Division and faces the difficulty of adjusting to the dangerous life of a raider and tension within his squad. Together they must find the source of the Devilbone before the dark powers at work use it to destroy the city they are sworn to protect.
In Devilbone, Commander Vulfort struggles with a growing problem of sorcerous contraband within the city that reaches a breaking point when an ancient necromantic reagent called Devilbone Dust, one of 14 forbidden substances, is discovered just outside the city. Meanwhile, Private Tanner has just arrived at the Division and faces the difficulty of adjusting to the dangerous life of a raider and tension within his squad. Together they must find the source of the Devilbone before the dark powers at work use it to destroy the city they are sworn to protect.
278 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2014
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253 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 21, 2018
I didn't finish this book. I usually don't review or rate books I don't finish, but I got to 74%, so I want to say why I stopped after having gone so far in.
There were two reasons. One is about my taste, and the other is about the author's professionalism, or lack thereof.
Taste first: I don't enjoy books that are grim, dark, or grimdark. This isn't all the way grimdark; several of the characters are doing hard things for the right reasons in a dark world. But the body count started escalating rapidly, and atrocity was piled upon atrocity, and I just didn't want to read any more. I should probably have taken warning from the prologue, in which an entire company of soldiers suffers a horrible fate.
Now, professionalism. I normally don't talk about the copy editing in the books I get from Netgalley (which is where I got this one), even when it's very bad, because they are usually pre-publication, and it's theoretically possible that they'll be properly edited before they're published. This one was published in 2014. It shows no sign of having been copy edited, and if it was, the author should ask for a refund. Any basically competent editor would have removed the many comma splices; punctuated the dialog correctly (when a sentence is interrupted by a beat, there is no capital when it resumes); fixed up the dashes, which are all followed by a space, and often used incorrectly; fixed the many instances of the "let's eat Grandma" error (missing vocative comma); removed commas before the main verb, and added them around subordinate clauses; fixed the sloppy typing that drops words out of sentences and leaves out periods and many closing quotation marks; done something about the frankly inept attempts to make some dialog sound "old-fashioned," which included using "thee" ungrammatically and adding a "be" to the beginning of some words, apparently under the mistaken impression that this would not change the meaning of the word; fixed the missing capitals for soldiers' ranks and even characters' names (probably more sloppy typing); corrected the use of "nonplussed" to mean its exact opposite; removed the hyphens in what should not be hyphenated phrases; corrected homonym or vocabulary errors like reserved/reservation, clouts/gouts, refer/defer, jilted/jinked, populous/populace, billeted/selected, compliment/complement, precedence/precedent, reprimand/remand, prospectus/prospective, recounted/recalled, flows/floes; perhaps even corrected "may" to "might" in past tense narration and fixed up the occasional incorrect verb tense or number. It's pretty much a complete collection of common errors, in fact, and a few rarer ones, and I haven't even listed all of them. There are literally dozens of these.
Even if the book had been well edited, though, I don't know that I would have persisted through all the horrible death and mayhem. That part is a matter of personal taste.
There were two reasons. One is about my taste, and the other is about the author's professionalism, or lack thereof.
Taste first: I don't enjoy books that are grim, dark, or grimdark. This isn't all the way grimdark; several of the characters are doing hard things for the right reasons in a dark world. But the body count started escalating rapidly, and atrocity was piled upon atrocity, and I just didn't want to read any more. I should probably have taken warning from the prologue, in which an entire company of soldiers suffers a horrible fate.
Now, professionalism. I normally don't talk about the copy editing in the books I get from Netgalley (which is where I got this one), even when it's very bad, because they are usually pre-publication, and it's theoretically possible that they'll be properly edited before they're published. This one was published in 2014. It shows no sign of having been copy edited, and if it was, the author should ask for a refund. Any basically competent editor would have removed the many comma splices; punctuated the dialog correctly (when a sentence is interrupted by a beat, there is no capital when it resumes); fixed up the dashes, which are all followed by a space, and often used incorrectly; fixed the many instances of the "let's eat Grandma" error (missing vocative comma); removed commas before the main verb, and added them around subordinate clauses; fixed the sloppy typing that drops words out of sentences and leaves out periods and many closing quotation marks; done something about the frankly inept attempts to make some dialog sound "old-fashioned," which included using "thee" ungrammatically and adding a "be" to the beginning of some words, apparently under the mistaken impression that this would not change the meaning of the word; fixed the missing capitals for soldiers' ranks and even characters' names (probably more sloppy typing); corrected the use of "nonplussed" to mean its exact opposite; removed the hyphens in what should not be hyphenated phrases; corrected homonym or vocabulary errors like reserved/reservation, clouts/gouts, refer/defer, jilted/jinked, populous/populace, billeted/selected, compliment/complement, precedence/precedent, reprimand/remand, prospectus/prospective, recounted/recalled, flows/floes; perhaps even corrected "may" to "might" in past tense narration and fixed up the occasional incorrect verb tense or number. It's pretty much a complete collection of common errors, in fact, and a few rarer ones, and I haven't even listed all of them. There are literally dozens of these.
Even if the book had been well edited, though, I don't know that I would have persisted through all the horrible death and mayhem. That part is a matter of personal taste.
June 12, 2018
I love police procedurals in any form, so I was really excited when Scott Warren provided me with a review copy of Devilbone. It follows the Sorcerous Crimes Division, basically a fantasy version of the FBI (or any other three letter federal investigative agency), as they investigate the presence of a dangerous magical substance that has mysteriously appeared in their city.
The opening chapter was chilling (pun intended), and I was hooked. The story’s base is a fairly standard fantasy world (goblins, elves, medieval city, etc), but there were a number of unique and interesting elements built on top of that. Most fantasy law enforcement is some variant of an evil inquisitorial squad or an incompetent city watch, and there’s a real lack of general…competency? However, the SCD felt like an actual government/law enforcement agency, who constantly deal with politics and red tape, and whose biggest threats are being understaffed and underfunded.
Given the premise of the book, it’s unsurprising this is a magic heavy story, and the magic system we get is quite interesting (albeit needlessly complex at times). Magic users tap into unseen “rivers” to fuel their abilities. There are different kinds of rivers, and varying levels of power within magic users themselves; adepts (base level) are rare, mages rarer, and wizards rarest of all. Most of the high level mages and wizards are aligned with a particular city or noble house, and they are incredibly sought-after. Of course, when you have all these magic users running around, you have the SCD, whose adepts investigate magic-related crimes, and police the general magical community. It makes for a magic system with a lot of depth, where the practical consequences of a world with magic are actually explored.
Other than a few weirdly paced segments, the plot moved briskly and I rarely found myself skimming over info-dumps. The SCD’s investigation takes them to some very dangerous situations, which we see primarily from two different viewpoints: the SCD commander and a new recruit. There are a lot of action scenes, the highlight of the book for me. Each time the action picked up, there’s this ominous feeling that things could get a lot worse—and sometimes they do. Some of these scenes are gruesome, and there are plenty of deaths, but none of this seemed excessive or thrown in for shock value. The overall tone of the book is decidedly not grimdark. Unfortunately a couple suspenseful scenes were cut a bit short, such as when one character gets unexpectedly trapped in a creepy, haunted ruin, which was a little disappointing after all the build up. However, the book culminates in an exciting sequence that is satisfying while setting up the sequel.
The book fell short for me in two ways. First, the characters were a bit flat. I never got a good sense for who they were as people, their personalities, hopes/dreams, fears, etc. Rather, the focus was on them as SCD professionals, which wasn’t enough to get me fully invested in their fates. Second, the prose quality was all over the place. There were some beautifully written segments, and some so awkwardly phrased that I had to reread several times to figure out what was going on. However, the biggest issue with the writing was the multitude of grammatical errors. Off the top of my head: comma splices, fluctuating verb tenses, a space after every em-dash (this one really bugged me), uncapitalized proper nouns, missing closing punctuation, improperly punctuated dialogue (namely missing closing quotation marks), a lack of vocative commas, and general misspellings and misused vocabulary. Not to mention many of the villains make liberal use of “old timey” dialogue full of ungrammatical thee/thou and thy/thine. This was presumably intended to sound ancient and mysterious, but the result was decidedly…not.
My typical rubric (see below) puts the book at 3.5/5 stars, and I really waffled with whether to round up or down. In the end, I’m giving it 4 stars, because I honestly had so much fun with this book despite the problems. Grammatical errors in particular are nails on a chalkboard to me, but I don’t think I’ve ever powered through them to the extent I did here. So that says a lot about the gripping qualities of the story, or maybe it just says a lot about my obsession with police procedurals. All in all, this is worth a read, and I’ll be checking out the sequel. I’d recommend this to those who like fast-paced, action-heavy fantasy, complex magic systems, and crime investigation stories.
Setting/Worldbuilding: 8
Characters: 6.5
Plot/Pacing: 7.5
Prose: 6
Overall: 7/10 -> 3.5/5 stars
This review was made possible by blogger/Redditor Esmerelda Weatherwax and her brainchild TBRindr, connecting indie authors with reviewers.
The opening chapter was chilling (pun intended), and I was hooked. The story’s base is a fairly standard fantasy world (goblins, elves, medieval city, etc), but there were a number of unique and interesting elements built on top of that. Most fantasy law enforcement is some variant of an evil inquisitorial squad or an incompetent city watch, and there’s a real lack of general…competency? However, the SCD felt like an actual government/law enforcement agency, who constantly deal with politics and red tape, and whose biggest threats are being understaffed and underfunded.
Given the premise of the book, it’s unsurprising this is a magic heavy story, and the magic system we get is quite interesting (albeit needlessly complex at times). Magic users tap into unseen “rivers” to fuel their abilities. There are different kinds of rivers, and varying levels of power within magic users themselves; adepts (base level) are rare, mages rarer, and wizards rarest of all. Most of the high level mages and wizards are aligned with a particular city or noble house, and they are incredibly sought-after. Of course, when you have all these magic users running around, you have the SCD, whose adepts investigate magic-related crimes, and police the general magical community. It makes for a magic system with a lot of depth, where the practical consequences of a world with magic are actually explored.
Other than a few weirdly paced segments, the plot moved briskly and I rarely found myself skimming over info-dumps. The SCD’s investigation takes them to some very dangerous situations, which we see primarily from two different viewpoints: the SCD commander and a new recruit. There are a lot of action scenes, the highlight of the book for me. Each time the action picked up, there’s this ominous feeling that things could get a lot worse—and sometimes they do. Some of these scenes are gruesome, and there are plenty of deaths, but none of this seemed excessive or thrown in for shock value. The overall tone of the book is decidedly not grimdark. Unfortunately a couple suspenseful scenes were cut a bit short, such as when one character gets unexpectedly trapped in a creepy, haunted ruin, which was a little disappointing after all the build up. However, the book culminates in an exciting sequence that is satisfying while setting up the sequel.
The book fell short for me in two ways. First, the characters were a bit flat. I never got a good sense for who they were as people, their personalities, hopes/dreams, fears, etc. Rather, the focus was on them as SCD professionals, which wasn’t enough to get me fully invested in their fates. Second, the prose quality was all over the place. There were some beautifully written segments, and some so awkwardly phrased that I had to reread several times to figure out what was going on. However, the biggest issue with the writing was the multitude of grammatical errors. Off the top of my head: comma splices, fluctuating verb tenses, a space after every em-dash (this one really bugged me), uncapitalized proper nouns, missing closing punctuation, improperly punctuated dialogue (namely missing closing quotation marks), a lack of vocative commas, and general misspellings and misused vocabulary. Not to mention many of the villains make liberal use of “old timey” dialogue full of ungrammatical thee/thou and thy/thine. This was presumably intended to sound ancient and mysterious, but the result was decidedly…not.
My typical rubric (see below) puts the book at 3.5/5 stars, and I really waffled with whether to round up or down. In the end, I’m giving it 4 stars, because I honestly had so much fun with this book despite the problems. Grammatical errors in particular are nails on a chalkboard to me, but I don’t think I’ve ever powered through them to the extent I did here. So that says a lot about the gripping qualities of the story, or maybe it just says a lot about my obsession with police procedurals. All in all, this is worth a read, and I’ll be checking out the sequel. I’d recommend this to those who like fast-paced, action-heavy fantasy, complex magic systems, and crime investigation stories.
Setting/Worldbuilding: 8
Characters: 6.5
Plot/Pacing: 7.5
Prose: 6
Overall: 7/10 -> 3.5/5 stars
This review was made possible by blogger/Redditor Esmerelda Weatherwax and her brainchild TBRindr, connecting indie authors with reviewers.
June 7, 2018
I was sent a digital copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review. I had never read anything by this author (Scott Warren) and this was his debut book. He has written several others but this was a first for me. The author has also sent me the next book, The Servant’s Tower, and I plan to jump right into that one next.
This is the type of book that is most difficult for me to review as I have mixed feelings. I always try to be fair and honest without using the most negative language, especially on reviews where the author provided a complimentary copy. Even if the book is awful (don’t worry, Scott, this book wasn’t awful by any means!!!), I can still be grateful for the kindness of them sending a free book. Plus, these authors often spend UNTOLD HOURS to write, re-write, edit, and then eventually promote their book. It is their livelihood and they pour so much of themselves into these books; it doesn’t seem right that I would be unfairly harsh.
Enough general commentary about how I approach reviews…
There were aspects of this book that I can recognize were very well done, particularly the magical elements. However, I struggled to connect with the magic on display here. The magic system in this book was extremely pervasive and deeply integrated into the book. It seemed like practically every paragraph had a person using magic, involved an enchanted item, or happened in a warded location, etc. Every fight scene and in every dialogue magic was interwoven throughout. And it tended to be high order, millennia-old forms of magic that could change the whole continent. All of this heightened the intensity.
But here lies my first problem. It was almost too much magic for me. I found myself thinking at times, “Come on, just punch or stab the guy”. While I have never punched or stabbed anyone, I know I COULD do it, meaning I physically would be able to make a fist or hold a dagger. (Morally, I don’t think I would, but that’s not the point.) When it comes to magic, that is something I could NEVER do. That makes it a little less relevant for me, and harder for me to place myself in the story.
In this book, it felt like almost everyone used magic almost all the time. Perhaps if there had been a more significant character that did not use any magic that would have helped me, giving me a person I could identify with. The books I like the most are the ones that almost feel as if I can feel the sand between my toes, I can empathize with why the person made their choice, I can feel the saddle sores, or to say it more generally, I can place myself in the story either as an involved part or at least as an observer.
Additionally, with the amount of magic and the complex, high-order magnitude of it, I felt like I was sitting in a calculus class as a student just learning how to add 2 + 2. It was overwhelming to me and I found myself glossing over some sections with a mindset of “insert magic that I don’t understand here”. It was just too much for me.
Beyond that, I thought the action sequences were well written. Beyond my previous comments about the magic usage in them, they were full of intense action, not excessively gory, and seemed appropriate for the context. Not perfect, but pretty good.
I would have liked to see more character development. This is always big for me. The two main characters – Tanner and Vulfort – were the most well-defined, but they were not developed nearly enough for my taste. For much of the other characters, they seemed little more than bodies for a fight scene, or extra voices in conversations. Even the main villains should have been more developed so I would have been rooting more against them.
I would have loved to see the author do much more with the other races that were here: goblins, dwarfs, ghosts, gargoyles, etc. What was there was very interesting and well done, and that aspect is probably what I enjoyed the most. I found myself wanting more of them.
Overall, the book was good, but didn’t check enough boxes for me to make it a favorite. Perhaps it will appeal more to those who prefer their magic with several tablespoons of magic instead of just a teaspoon. For someone like that I can easily see why they would give a 4.0-4.5 stars.
Thank you, Scott, for sending this to me. Well done! 3.8 / 5 stars.
This is the type of book that is most difficult for me to review as I have mixed feelings. I always try to be fair and honest without using the most negative language, especially on reviews where the author provided a complimentary copy. Even if the book is awful (don’t worry, Scott, this book wasn’t awful by any means!!!), I can still be grateful for the kindness of them sending a free book. Plus, these authors often spend UNTOLD HOURS to write, re-write, edit, and then eventually promote their book. It is their livelihood and they pour so much of themselves into these books; it doesn’t seem right that I would be unfairly harsh.
Enough general commentary about how I approach reviews…
There were aspects of this book that I can recognize were very well done, particularly the magical elements. However, I struggled to connect with the magic on display here. The magic system in this book was extremely pervasive and deeply integrated into the book. It seemed like practically every paragraph had a person using magic, involved an enchanted item, or happened in a warded location, etc. Every fight scene and in every dialogue magic was interwoven throughout. And it tended to be high order, millennia-old forms of magic that could change the whole continent. All of this heightened the intensity.
But here lies my first problem. It was almost too much magic for me. I found myself thinking at times, “Come on, just punch or stab the guy”. While I have never punched or stabbed anyone, I know I COULD do it, meaning I physically would be able to make a fist or hold a dagger. (Morally, I don’t think I would, but that’s not the point.) When it comes to magic, that is something I could NEVER do. That makes it a little less relevant for me, and harder for me to place myself in the story.
In this book, it felt like almost everyone used magic almost all the time. Perhaps if there had been a more significant character that did not use any magic that would have helped me, giving me a person I could identify with. The books I like the most are the ones that almost feel as if I can feel the sand between my toes, I can empathize with why the person made their choice, I can feel the saddle sores, or to say it more generally, I can place myself in the story either as an involved part or at least as an observer.
Additionally, with the amount of magic and the complex, high-order magnitude of it, I felt like I was sitting in a calculus class as a student just learning how to add 2 + 2. It was overwhelming to me and I found myself glossing over some sections with a mindset of “insert magic that I don’t understand here”. It was just too much for me.
Beyond that, I thought the action sequences were well written. Beyond my previous comments about the magic usage in them, they were full of intense action, not excessively gory, and seemed appropriate for the context. Not perfect, but pretty good.
I would have liked to see more character development. This is always big for me. The two main characters – Tanner and Vulfort – were the most well-defined, but they were not developed nearly enough for my taste. For much of the other characters, they seemed little more than bodies for a fight scene, or extra voices in conversations. Even the main villains should have been more developed so I would have been rooting more against them.
I would have loved to see the author do much more with the other races that were here: goblins, dwarfs, ghosts, gargoyles, etc. What was there was very interesting and well done, and that aspect is probably what I enjoyed the most. I found myself wanting more of them.
Overall, the book was good, but didn’t check enough boxes for me to make it a favorite. Perhaps it will appeal more to those who prefer their magic with several tablespoons of magic instead of just a teaspoon. For someone like that I can easily see why they would give a 4.0-4.5 stars.
Thank you, Scott, for sending this to me. Well done! 3.8 / 5 stars.
July 9, 2018
A fun book with an unusual premise, and a lot of promise for the future.
The story revolves around the Sorcerous Crimes Division - a semi-secret police force in the city-state of Kaharas tasked with overseeing significant magical crime. Practitioners whose ability meets a certain threshold, illegal rituals and contraband reagents are all in their purview.
The story is told mostly from two perspectives, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the SCD. Commander Vulfort is the man in charge, and has to deal with the nobility of the city as well as the running of the operation. Tanner is a new recruit, just out of the academy, and a raider (think magic SWAT.)
Things heat up when reports come in of the eponymous devilbone dust in Kaharas. Since it's a powerful and dangerous reagent, created by the wholesale slaughter of large numbers of people, it's kind of a big deal. But Vulfort and his SCD don't know just how big.
The Good
I quite liked the characters. Tanner has a sort of earnest, game stoicism that works for him. Vulfort is clearly dedicated to the cause. Many of the other characters were also quite enjoyable. The cantankerous lizardy sergeant (voiced in my head by Idris Elba) is a lot of fun, for example.
The setting has a ton of potential. I look forward to learning more about it.
The story as a whole is solid, and resolved well, while leaving hooks for later.
The Not-So-Good
The biggest issue for me was the use of folksy vernacular. Specifically, the author is not consistent with it. Tanner is from an outlying, agrarian province, and thus brings some of those speech patters with him. However, Warren can't seem to decide if that's going to carry over into the non-dialog parts of Tanner's passages. It ends up becoming very jarring when it pops up suddenly, then gone in a flash.
There were a few other places that the writing needed polishing, or didn't flow well, but on the whole it wasn't a huge deal for me.
Neutral, but Noteworthy
The violence, when it happens, is sudden and brutal. Though Warren doesn't linger on the details, it imparts a believable sense of danger and consequences. This is not a swashbuckler, or a story of larger than life heroes who shrug off mortal wounds.
Though it starts off seeming like it will be Law & Order: Special Wizards Unit, the story expands beyond the usual "investigate, deduce, apprehend" structure of police procedurals into a more typical fantasy story.
Summary
I had a lot of fun with this story and the characters. I look forward to reading more.
The story revolves around the Sorcerous Crimes Division - a semi-secret police force in the city-state of Kaharas tasked with overseeing significant magical crime. Practitioners whose ability meets a certain threshold, illegal rituals and contraband reagents are all in their purview.
The story is told mostly from two perspectives, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the SCD. Commander Vulfort is the man in charge, and has to deal with the nobility of the city as well as the running of the operation. Tanner is a new recruit, just out of the academy, and a raider (think magic SWAT.)
Things heat up when reports come in of the eponymous devilbone dust in Kaharas. Since it's a powerful and dangerous reagent, created by the wholesale slaughter of large numbers of people, it's kind of a big deal. But Vulfort and his SCD don't know just how big.
The Good
I quite liked the characters. Tanner has a sort of earnest, game stoicism that works for him. Vulfort is clearly dedicated to the cause. Many of the other characters were also quite enjoyable. The cantankerous lizardy sergeant (voiced in my head by Idris Elba) is a lot of fun, for example.
The setting has a ton of potential. I look forward to learning more about it.
The story as a whole is solid, and resolved well, while leaving hooks for later.
The Not-So-Good
The biggest issue for me was the use of folksy vernacular. Specifically, the author is not consistent with it. Tanner is from an outlying, agrarian province, and thus brings some of those speech patters with him. However, Warren can't seem to decide if that's going to carry over into the non-dialog parts of Tanner's passages. It ends up becoming very jarring when it pops up suddenly, then gone in a flash.
There were a few other places that the writing needed polishing, or didn't flow well, but on the whole it wasn't a huge deal for me.
Neutral, but Noteworthy
The violence, when it happens, is sudden and brutal. Though Warren doesn't linger on the details, it imparts a believable sense of danger and consequences. This is not a swashbuckler, or a story of larger than life heroes who shrug off mortal wounds.
Though it starts off seeming like it will be Law & Order: Special Wizards Unit, the story expands beyond the usual "investigate, deduce, apprehend" structure of police procedurals into a more typical fantasy story.
Summary
I had a lot of fun with this story and the characters. I look forward to reading more.
May 21, 2018
Clever, cardio-paced and underrated
This could be a series I read until the characters become colleagues, and when it finally ends I curl up with ice cream sulking about what has been taken from me.
The SCD squads are straight out of a favourite police procedural, as is the "tight as the Philharmonic" writing style. The author lists The Wire as an inspiration and you can feel that in the mix too. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. Makes me think the author has an editor with a spiked whip and little OCD, like a mean personal trainer. The writing is very lean but muscular.
The city of Kaharas has some Tolkien-level backstory that I can't wait to unravel. The plot is so explosive it's easier to compare to a TV series (Homeland, maybe 24) or a heist movie than other books. In fact, though it's a shortish novel it punches well above its weight in terms of the story that gets packed in.
I have to admit, neither the title of the book or the series led me to expect the sophistication of writing, the believable motivations or the seamless blending of multiple genres (without once making a play for pop culture appeal over substance). After reading though, I can't imagine how either could be more appropriately named. I might ordinarily be affronted by someone trying to pull together two literary loves I have always maintained apart (fantasy and police procedural), but this was so well done I'm hat tipping instead.
I've already started the sequel and will be looking up the novellas. If they build on this foundation I'm certain I'll be equally impressed.
Mr Warren, please don't kill off too many characters before they can become "my peeps", I'm not stocked up on ice cream.
This could be a series I read until the characters become colleagues, and when it finally ends I curl up with ice cream sulking about what has been taken from me.
The SCD squads are straight out of a favourite police procedural, as is the "tight as the Philharmonic" writing style. The author lists The Wire as an inspiration and you can feel that in the mix too. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. Makes me think the author has an editor with a spiked whip and little OCD, like a mean personal trainer. The writing is very lean but muscular.
The city of Kaharas has some Tolkien-level backstory that I can't wait to unravel. The plot is so explosive it's easier to compare to a TV series (Homeland, maybe 24) or a heist movie than other books. In fact, though it's a shortish novel it punches well above its weight in terms of the story that gets packed in.
I have to admit, neither the title of the book or the series led me to expect the sophistication of writing, the believable motivations or the seamless blending of multiple genres (without once making a play for pop culture appeal over substance). After reading though, I can't imagine how either could be more appropriately named. I might ordinarily be affronted by someone trying to pull together two literary loves I have always maintained apart (fantasy and police procedural), but this was so well done I'm hat tipping instead.
I've already started the sequel and will be looking up the novellas. If they build on this foundation I'm certain I'll be equally impressed.
Mr Warren, please don't kill off too many characters before they can become "my peeps", I'm not stocked up on ice cream.
March 2, 2020
Is it weird that I enjoy so many fantasy police detective books but [i]not[/i] Sam Vimes? Anyway, I enjoyed the heck out of this one, so much so that for the first time in a long time (possibly ever), I'm reading a third indie author's book in succession. I'll probably read the entire SCD series all in one go.
Well paced, good characters, solid plotting. Done in a very classical fantasy manner of the reverse Sherlock Holmes, in that the reader generally sees where this is going but the characters don't. I don't have a preference between the two, but I appreciate when either is done right and it was done right in this book. It also took me until the very end of the book - and possibly the author's note of book 2 - to realize the magical system was a relatively new type that's been gaining traction lately. So kudos for not making it transparently 'X' but instead 'X+' where you put your own thing into it in such a way that it seems like its own thing.
I would like to say, however, that I still generally frown on product placement in books, and I'm somewhat bemused that I'm reading this after a character in one of the authors' other books mentioned reading it. I really do try not to take reading advice from fictional characters, especially when they recommend their own author, but here we are.
Well paced, good characters, solid plotting. Done in a very classical fantasy manner of the reverse Sherlock Holmes, in that the reader generally sees where this is going but the characters don't. I don't have a preference between the two, but I appreciate when either is done right and it was done right in this book. It also took me until the very end of the book - and possibly the author's note of book 2 - to realize the magical system was a relatively new type that's been gaining traction lately. So kudos for not making it transparently 'X' but instead 'X+' where you put your own thing into it in such a way that it seems like its own thing.
I would like to say, however, that I still generally frown on product placement in books, and I'm somewhat bemused that I'm reading this after a character in one of the authors' other books mentioned reading it. I really do try not to take reading advice from fictional characters, especially when they recommend their own author, but here we are.
December 25, 2020
I love the crime genre and mixed with fantasy I'm in my reading element.
Boyle Tanner joins the Sorcerous Crime Division after a group of soldiers goes missing and he is enlisted to help find them. Unfortunately not as easy as he thinks as the soldiers have been lured North to where old gods and evil monsters play torturous games of power. Have the soldiers just gone missing or is there something more malicious and betrayal at play. Will Tanner be strong enough to survive the odds or will be a victim too?
Boyle Tanner joins the Sorcerous Crime Division after a group of soldiers goes missing and he is enlisted to help find them. Unfortunately not as easy as he thinks as the soldiers have been lured North to where old gods and evil monsters play torturous games of power. Have the soldiers just gone missing or is there something more malicious and betrayal at play. Will Tanner be strong enough to survive the odds or will be a victim too?
May 16, 2018
A very good book that mixes two genre like epic fantasy and police procedural. There is a lot of world building and the character are interesting and well described.
The plot is fascinating and unusual and keep you hooked till the end.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Scott Warren and Netgalley for the ARC
The plot is fascinating and unusual and keep you hooked till the end.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Scott Warren and Netgalley for the ARC
August 30, 2018
Excelent Book on par with The Black Company
Good storyline, compelling characters, and interesting take on magical systems. It is definitely worth the library space and money spent.
Good storyline, compelling characters, and interesting take on magical systems. It is definitely worth the library space and money spent.
May 4, 2020
Got half way through.
It's not that bad but not really any good. Characters are bland and one dimensional, story just does not grab you. Whole thing is just blah.
It's not that bad but not really any good. Characters are bland and one dimensional, story just does not grab you. Whole thing is just blah.
August 18, 2014
The Sorcerous Crimes Division – Devilbone is a great debut novel, you should buy it!
I picked it up after the author promoted it on Reddit (it was free for a while, now it's $3.59 / 2,68€).
It has some of the usual problems that self published books tend to have: some spelling errors, some grammatical errors and sometimes sentences make no sense (but can be parsed) as the author decided mid-sentence to phrase it differently ;)
But those problems (which aren't too jarring) aside, I can absolutely recommend it. Great world building, interesting characters and a gripping plot.
Scott Warren takes a modern society, plants it in a fantasy world with Goblins, Dwarfs, Elves, Glenndrakes (humanoid lizards) and many more, adds some type of Feudalism/Democracy mix and of course magic. The other races are not a major focus, they are more or less integrated in society and have different standings, besides one Glenndrake most of the information we are given is incidental.
The magic system is rather methodical (think Brandon Sanderson) and unique enough to make it rather interesting in itself. The "unseen rivers" (rivers of magic you use to cast spells) have their own rules attached to them depending on what type of magic you want to cast.
There are different levels of magic proficiency:
Adepts are common enough (I think 1 in 100 was mentioned) and we see a lot (of course, look at the name of the book :D) of them, but they can't cast major spells, some fire spells, some cantrips.
Mages are rarer, they belong to some Lord's banner usually and can invoke serious spells like a firestorm.
Finally, Wizards. The cream of the crop. Very rare (the major city the story takes place in has ~5) and they are insanely powerful, be it by casting magic or doing big, time consuming magic rituals.
As I said, I can only recommend this book and I expect part 2 (which hopefully has better proofreading) to be even better. If you are afraid to start a multi-part story, fear not. While there are some questions left and there is a kind of cliffhanger at the end, the book itself has an ending that feels like an ending.
I picked it up after the author promoted it on Reddit (it was free for a while, now it's $3.59 / 2,68€).
It has some of the usual problems that self published books tend to have: some spelling errors, some grammatical errors and sometimes sentences make no sense (but can be parsed) as the author decided mid-sentence to phrase it differently ;)
But those problems (which aren't too jarring) aside, I can absolutely recommend it. Great world building, interesting characters and a gripping plot.
Scott Warren takes a modern society, plants it in a fantasy world with Goblins, Dwarfs, Elves, Glenndrakes (humanoid lizards) and many more, adds some type of Feudalism/Democracy mix and of course magic. The other races are not a major focus, they are more or less integrated in society and have different standings, besides one Glenndrake most of the information we are given is incidental.
The magic system is rather methodical (think Brandon Sanderson) and unique enough to make it rather interesting in itself. The "unseen rivers" (rivers of magic you use to cast spells) have their own rules attached to them depending on what type of magic you want to cast.
There are different levels of magic proficiency:
Adepts are common enough (I think 1 in 100 was mentioned) and we see a lot (of course, look at the name of the book :D) of them, but they can't cast major spells, some fire spells, some cantrips.
Mages are rarer, they belong to some Lord's banner usually and can invoke serious spells like a firestorm.
Finally, Wizards. The cream of the crop. Very rare (the major city the story takes place in has ~5) and they are insanely powerful, be it by casting magic or doing big, time consuming magic rituals.
As I said, I can only recommend this book and I expect part 2 (which hopefully has better proofreading) to be even better. If you are afraid to start a multi-part story, fear not. While there are some questions left and there is a kind of cliffhanger at the end, the book itself has an ending that feels like an ending.
June 18, 2015
SCD: Devilbone is a very satisfying read. Scott Warren could easily take his place among the greats, with a writing style that I can only describe as reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson crossed with Jim Butcher. Read this if you get the chance, it's well worthwhile!
Devilbone is basically a police procedural set in a fantasy world with a unique magic system. The magic system is fun, inventive, and adds to the story without taking it over. Seriously, pick it up!
Devilbone is basically a police procedural set in a fantasy world with a unique magic system. The magic system is fun, inventive, and adds to the story without taking it over. Seriously, pick it up!
June 17, 2015
SCD: Devilbone is a very satisfying read. Scott Warren could easily take his place among the greats, with a writing style that I can only describe as reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson crossed with Jim Butcher. Read this if you get the chance, it's well worthwhile!
Devilbone is basically a police procedural set in a fantasy world with a unique magic system. The magic system is fun, inventive, and adds to the story without taking it over. Seriously, pick it up!
Devilbone is basically a police procedural set in a fantasy world with a unique magic system. The magic system is fun, inventive, and adds to the story without taking it over. Seriously, pick it up!
April 19, 2015
Very compelling tale.
Enjoyed reading the is story. I could easily slip into the universe as I read. Looking forward to the next adventures.
Enjoyed reading the is story. I could easily slip into the universe as I read. Looking forward to the next adventures.
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