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The Elephant and Macaw Banner - Novelette Series #4
A Preposterous Plight
Welcome to a world of muskets and magic.
When Antonio Dias Caldas swears revenge on Gerard van Oost and Oludara, they have no choice but to flee through the Brazilian wilderness. When they reach the land of the feared Wytaka warriors, however, they discover that what they're running too might just be worse than what they're running from.
The Elephant and Macaw Banner is an award-winning series of bite-sized adventures: action-packed fantasy you can read in a single sitting.
When Antonio Dias Caldas swears revenge on Gerard van Oost and Oludara, they have no choice but to flee through the Brazilian wilderness. When they reach the land of the feared Wytaka warriors, however, they discover that what they're running too might just be worse than what they're running from.
The Elephant and Macaw Banner is an award-winning series of bite-sized adventures: action-packed fantasy you can read in a single sitting.
- GenresFantasy
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 29, 2016
8 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Kastensmidt
36 books57 followersChristopher Kastensmidt was born in Texas but has lived in Porto Alegre, Brazil since 2001.
Christopher was a Nebula Award finalist and winner of the Realms of Fantasy Readers' Choice Awards for his novelette "The Fortuitous Meeting of Gerard van Oost and Oludara." This story was the first in The Elephant and Macaw Banner fantasy series, which has since been published in six countries and adapted to comics and games. These stories feature a Dutch explorer and Yoruban slave who meet in sixteenth-century Brazil and begin a series of adventures together, harkening to old Sword & Sorcery heroes like Fritz Leiber´s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and Charles R. Saunder's Imaro.
Christopher ran Brazilian video game developer Southlogic Studios for a decade before its sale to Ubisoft Brazil, where he served as Creative Director. He participated in the production of thirty internationally-published video games, totalling millions of units sold.
Christopher has a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University and a Master's degree in Social Communication from the Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul. Besides writing, he lectures at UniRitter university on scriptwriting, game designm and video game production.
To learn more about The Elephant and Macaw Banner series, please visit www.eamb.org, where Christopher posts news, artwork, and in-depth explanations of historical and cultural references used in the stories.
Christopher was a Nebula Award finalist and winner of the Realms of Fantasy Readers' Choice Awards for his novelette "The Fortuitous Meeting of Gerard van Oost and Oludara." This story was the first in The Elephant and Macaw Banner fantasy series, which has since been published in six countries and adapted to comics and games. These stories feature a Dutch explorer and Yoruban slave who meet in sixteenth-century Brazil and begin a series of adventures together, harkening to old Sword & Sorcery heroes like Fritz Leiber´s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and Charles R. Saunder's Imaro.
Christopher ran Brazilian video game developer Southlogic Studios for a decade before its sale to Ubisoft Brazil, where he served as Creative Director. He participated in the production of thirty internationally-published video games, totalling millions of units sold.
Christopher has a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University and a Master's degree in Social Communication from the Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul. Besides writing, he lectures at UniRitter university on scriptwriting, game designm and video game production.
To learn more about The Elephant and Macaw Banner series, please visit www.eamb.org, where Christopher posts news, artwork, and in-depth explanations of historical and cultural references used in the stories.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 24, 2016
I heard about this series of novelettes on the Unreliable Narrator podcast and was intrigued. I was able to download the first 5 works in the series and had burned through ALL of them, plus pre-ordered the sixth book in a single day.
Christopher Kastensmidt has provided US readers with a remarkable view into the history of Brazil during the Age of Exploration (Exploitation?) by Europeans. I consider myself to be well-read on the mythology and legends of various cultures, but Kastensmidt schooled me. ; )
The pace is brisk and gets right into the thick of things. Our protags, an unlikely duo, are introduced and propelled into action. The dialogue, the background, the research and the setting all merge into a seamless, compelling read.
This is adventure fiction at its finest.
And after reading all five books, I have to point out his remarkable use of a consistent framing device to set up and close each novelette - a non-human POV observer to get things moving and to close out the tale. Just really great and well-done.
While each of the novelettes could stand on its own, I'd suggest reading in chronological order for the sake of consistency.
If you're interested in reading some fine adventure fiction in a setting you've never read before, grab these novelettes and enjoy.
Christopher Kastensmidt has provided US readers with a remarkable view into the history of Brazil during the Age of Exploration (Exploitation?) by Europeans. I consider myself to be well-read on the mythology and legends of various cultures, but Kastensmidt schooled me. ; )
The pace is brisk and gets right into the thick of things. Our protags, an unlikely duo, are introduced and propelled into action. The dialogue, the background, the research and the setting all merge into a seamless, compelling read.
This is adventure fiction at its finest.
And after reading all five books, I have to point out his remarkable use of a consistent framing device to set up and close each novelette - a non-human POV observer to get things moving and to close out the tale. Just really great and well-done.
While each of the novelettes could stand on its own, I'd suggest reading in chronological order for the sake of consistency.
If you're interested in reading some fine adventure fiction in a setting you've never read before, grab these novelettes and enjoy.
April 15, 2016
A Preposterous Plight continues the adventures of Gerard and Oludara as they brave new wild territory in Brazil.
This story showcases a new "faction" in the EAMB, one of the most interesting (and scary/badass) so far!
It also puts Oludara and Gerard in some tight spots which require a lot of quick thinking to escape from.
Another great, fun, fast paced entry in the series!
This story showcases a new "faction" in the EAMB, one of the most interesting (and scary/badass) so far!
It also puts Oludara and Gerard in some tight spots which require a lot of quick thinking to escape from.
Another great, fun, fast paced entry in the series!
April 16, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews