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Dissolution Cycle #0.7
Merchants and Maji
An old war machine and a revolutionary space capsule will change relations among the ten species forever.
Last Delivery:
Prot, Amra, and crew sell goods across the ten homeworlds in a refitted war transport, saving up to buy a shop. But after fees to travel between worlds, their profits always fall short. Their newest customers are the xenophobic Sureriaj. But when a protest over offworlder trading shuts down all business, the crew's only hope is to leave the planet delivering emergency medical supplies. The contract is for too much money, the seller is using a false name, and the cargo is magically sealed. Nothing could go wrong.
The First Majus in Space:
The ten species are in awe of the first space capsule. But when the majus piloting it is assassinated, Origon Cyrysi is the only one able to complete the mission. Too late, he finds the spacecraft may cost him his abilities. And even if Origon returns from space, the escaped assassin might still trigger an interstellar war. Either way, the fuel is burning.
Last Delivery:
Prot, Amra, and crew sell goods across the ten homeworlds in a refitted war transport, saving up to buy a shop. But after fees to travel between worlds, their profits always fall short. Their newest customers are the xenophobic Sureriaj. But when a protest over offworlder trading shuts down all business, the crew's only hope is to leave the planet delivering emergency medical supplies. The contract is for too much money, the seller is using a false name, and the cargo is magically sealed. Nothing could go wrong.
The First Majus in Space:
The ten species are in awe of the first space capsule. But when the majus piloting it is assassinated, Origon Cyrysi is the only one able to complete the mission. Too late, he finds the spacecraft may cost him his abilities. And even if Origon returns from space, the escaped assassin might still trigger an interstellar war. Either way, the fuel is burning.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
174 pages, Paperback
Published August 22, 2016
9 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
William C. Tracy
36 books107 followersWilliam C. Tracy writes tales of the Dissolutionverse: a science fantasy series about planets connected by music-based magic instead of spaceflight. This series currently includes a three-book epic space opera cycle. It also includes five novelettes and novellas, including a coming of age story, tales of political intrigue, a Sherlock Holmes-like mystery, a Jules Verne style adventure. Several books include LGBT-friendly elements.
His first epic fantasy from NineStar Press is Fruits of the Gods, about a land where magic comes from seasonal fruit, and two sisters plot to take down a corrupt government.
William is a North Carolina native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He has a master's in mechanical engineering, and has both designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He has also trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003, and runs his own dojo in Raleigh NC. He is an avid video and board gamer, a reader, and of course, a writer.
In his spare time, he cosplays with his wife such combinations as Steampunk Agent Carter and Jarvis, Jafar and Maleficent, and Doctor Strange and the Ancient One. They also enjoy putting their pets in cute little costumes and making them cosplay for the annual Christmas card.
You can get a free Dissolutionverse short story by signing up for William's mailing list at http://williamctracy.com/contact-me/
Or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wctracy for writing updates, cat pictures, and thoughts on martial arts.
His first epic fantasy from NineStar Press is Fruits of the Gods, about a land where magic comes from seasonal fruit, and two sisters plot to take down a corrupt government.
William is a North Carolina native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He has a master's in mechanical engineering, and has both designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He has also trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003, and runs his own dojo in Raleigh NC. He is an avid video and board gamer, a reader, and of course, a writer.
In his spare time, he cosplays with his wife such combinations as Steampunk Agent Carter and Jarvis, Jafar and Maleficent, and Doctor Strange and the Ancient One. They also enjoy putting their pets in cute little costumes and making them cosplay for the annual Christmas card.
You can get a free Dissolutionverse short story by signing up for William's mailing list at http://williamctracy.com/contact-me/
Or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wctracy for writing updates, cat pictures, and thoughts on martial arts.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 9, 2016
Was very much looking forward to reading another of Tracy's novellas, and I was not disappointed! Merchants and Maji is another work in the Dissolutionverse story world set up in Tuning the Symphony. This contains two stories, actually - the second featuring a couple of characters we've already come to know and love in Tuning. All I can say is I can't wait to read the first full novel in this world Tracy is prepping us for!
October 27, 2019
Another fun adventure in the Dissolution-verse! I am a bit partial to stories including Origon and Ralin so the First Maji in Space was my favorite of the two!
December 20, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book. This is an honest review of the book.
Synopsis:
Last Delivery:
Prot and crew try to peddle their wares on the Sureriaj homeworld when things go sideways due to some protesters. They’re forced to close up shop and flee the area which turns riotous. Without being able to sell their wares, they can’t pay for a portal to the next of the ten homeworlds.
That is until Prot is offered the deal of a lifetime by a Sureri grand-dame. All she wants is for them to deliver medicine to his own homeworld. The pay would be good and they would be going to a much more hospitable place. The catch? Something feels off. She’s not telling him everything, but if she’s to be believed, it’s medicine. Even if it’s smuggling, how bad could it be?
The First Majus in Space:
Kashidur City is unveiling a monument to their ingenuity and Majus Origon has a front row seat to it. Methiemum is reaching to the stars, beginning with launching a manned spacecraft at one of the moons, Ksupara. The crowd is ready to witness to the greatest form of travel since the maji portals between the ten worlds.
Origon watches Majus Teju, the one to serve the craft’s guide, climb to the ship’s entrance. Gunshots ring out and Teju slumps over. Origon tries to track the shooter, but the countdown has already begun and can’t be stopped. If the mission is to continue it now needs Origon to step in. Amidst tragedy, he has to become their guide there and land them safely.
Review:
Merchants and Maji: two tales of intrigue featuring devious plots, shady characters, and those that might expose them. I was definitely interested in the idea of following this “Dissolutionverse” and what adventure William had waiting. I was not disappointed in reading these stories. Each one kept me fully invested in the plot all the way up to the end.
There were many things I liked about this book, but I think one of the more interesting is that each story stands alone. You don’t have to have read one to get the other, but there are points that actually tie both stories together indirectly. William also used the ten homeworlds well, not just populating them with “human-type” characters, but a wide range of races.
Prot and his crew were about as varied and colorful as they come, each one providing just a component to their trading operations. Though we follow Prot, through his eyes, I did feel connections to the other characters and was rooting for each of them in different ways. They had personality and weren’t just a band of Yes Men and Yes Women. Most notably was Prot’s love interest Amra. She isn’t afraid to vocalize her dissatisfaction for situations, and stands up to Prot when he tries placating her.
Origon on the other hand is a bird-like being; a Kirian. He’s a bit arrogant, overly confident in himself, and to top it off irritated and jealous of the much younger majus, Teju. What set Origon aside as a memorable character was his constant attitude. While those are not usually traits we like to see in people, had Origon been passive, or less confident, the story wouldn’t have been compelling.
I only had one gripe with the entire book. There was a single character that just hit all the TV/movie villain stereotypes. That’s not to say the character made the book bad or ruined the story, I was just hoping for a little more depth on that one character to match the depth on the rest of the book.
I’m giving this a 5 star rating because minus that one thing, this is a well edited, well formed book.
Synopsis:
Last Delivery:
Prot and crew try to peddle their wares on the Sureriaj homeworld when things go sideways due to some protesters. They’re forced to close up shop and flee the area which turns riotous. Without being able to sell their wares, they can’t pay for a portal to the next of the ten homeworlds.
That is until Prot is offered the deal of a lifetime by a Sureri grand-dame. All she wants is for them to deliver medicine to his own homeworld. The pay would be good and they would be going to a much more hospitable place. The catch? Something feels off. She’s not telling him everything, but if she’s to be believed, it’s medicine. Even if it’s smuggling, how bad could it be?
The First Majus in Space:
Kashidur City is unveiling a monument to their ingenuity and Majus Origon has a front row seat to it. Methiemum is reaching to the stars, beginning with launching a manned spacecraft at one of the moons, Ksupara. The crowd is ready to witness to the greatest form of travel since the maji portals between the ten worlds.
Origon watches Majus Teju, the one to serve the craft’s guide, climb to the ship’s entrance. Gunshots ring out and Teju slumps over. Origon tries to track the shooter, but the countdown has already begun and can’t be stopped. If the mission is to continue it now needs Origon to step in. Amidst tragedy, he has to become their guide there and land them safely.
Review:
Merchants and Maji: two tales of intrigue featuring devious plots, shady characters, and those that might expose them. I was definitely interested in the idea of following this “Dissolutionverse” and what adventure William had waiting. I was not disappointed in reading these stories. Each one kept me fully invested in the plot all the way up to the end.
There were many things I liked about this book, but I think one of the more interesting is that each story stands alone. You don’t have to have read one to get the other, but there are points that actually tie both stories together indirectly. William also used the ten homeworlds well, not just populating them with “human-type” characters, but a wide range of races.
Prot and his crew were about as varied and colorful as they come, each one providing just a component to their trading operations. Though we follow Prot, through his eyes, I did feel connections to the other characters and was rooting for each of them in different ways. They had personality and weren’t just a band of Yes Men and Yes Women. Most notably was Prot’s love interest Amra. She isn’t afraid to vocalize her dissatisfaction for situations, and stands up to Prot when he tries placating her.
Origon on the other hand is a bird-like being; a Kirian. He’s a bit arrogant, overly confident in himself, and to top it off irritated and jealous of the much younger majus, Teju. What set Origon aside as a memorable character was his constant attitude. While those are not usually traits we like to see in people, had Origon been passive, or less confident, the story wouldn’t have been compelling.
I only had one gripe with the entire book. There was a single character that just hit all the TV/movie villain stereotypes. That’s not to say the character made the book bad or ruined the story, I was just hoping for a little more depth on that one character to match the depth on the rest of the book.
I’m giving this a 5 star rating because minus that one thing, this is a well edited, well formed book.
December 12, 2022
I can admit: I approached this slowly. I had read the Five Hive Plateau, and was not so impressed. Good characters and world building, but it seemed like the magic angle was just a little…forced.
This collection – 2 stories from the Dissolutionverse – is not that. The characters are still interesting, as you navigate such a different culture. The world William has created is an interesting one – where ‘portals’ exist between worlds and peoples. The magic element is more aligned with the stories, and a bit more subtle.
Definitely worth reading and I am going to delve into the Dissolutionverse.
This collection – 2 stories from the Dissolutionverse – is not that. The characters are still interesting, as you navigate such a different culture. The world William has created is an interesting one – where ‘portals’ exist between worlds and peoples. The magic element is more aligned with the stories, and a bit more subtle.
Definitely worth reading and I am going to delve into the Dissolutionverse.
December 17, 2020
Last Delivery and THE FIRST MAJUS IN SPACE
Great stories! Characters are fully realized, there are many secondary characters and a great deal of description to make the worlds richly believable, and the plots are fairly complex and realistic.
Great stories! Characters are fully realized, there are many secondary characters and a great deal of description to make the worlds richly believable, and the plots are fairly complex and realistic.
April 20, 2021
I have never read a book, with this type of premise, outside of this series. The writing is tight, the plot is easy to follow and the characters are easy to admire. I do recommend the first three books of this series.
June 3, 2017
Did not disappoint! Full review to come.
March 4, 2021
I wasn't sure what to think about this one. Wild species, colorful characters and wild technology in a universe unlike our own. It is an interesting puzzle. A good read.
Read
August 4, 2021Hello folks! I'll be using this space to provide some updates for the Dissolutionverse stories!
First off, I get a lot of questions about which books to read first. A good place to start is either Tuning the Symphony, or the big epic space opera, The Seeds of Dissolution, however, I've purposefully written these books so you can read them in any order, depending on what you like!
I'm currently writing the sequels to The Seeds of Dissolution, and the story will probably be five books long. However, Right now there are four side novellas to choose from: an adventure, a political intrigue (this one), a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery, and a Jules Verne-like adventure. Each one adds a bit more to the universe...
August 4th, 2021: Been a while since I did one of these, but I'm very pleased to announce that my first anthology, Distant Gardens, is released! My stories include one in the Dissolutionverse and one in a new universe. There are eight other stories as well, by my fellow authors!
April 21st 2021: The audiobook for Tales of the Dissolutionverse is released on Audible! Go check it out!
August 25th 2020: Book 3, Fall of the Imperium is out! Time to go finish up the trilogy. What lies in store for Sam, Enos, and Inas?
July 23rd 2020: The cover for book 3, Fall of the Imperium, has been revealed! Mark your calendars for August 25th and the release of the last book of the trilogy!
June 24th 2020: Book 2, Facets of the Nether is released! Go out and get it, people! I'm hoping to finish up Fall of the Imperium in 2-3 weeks, and that one will be released in August to finish out the trilogy.
May 13 2020: The Kickstarter is finished and the covers and illustrations are funded. Thanks to everyone who helped this project. In other news, I've finished the last draft of Facets of the Nether (The Dissolution Cycle book 2) and the planned release date is June 23rd! Now on to another round of edits on book 3, planned for August 2020...
April 08 2020: The Kickstarter for books 2 and 3 of The Seeds of Dissolution is live! You can get the books early, become a character in the story, or have a special Dissolutionverse story written just for you. Check out the link here:
https://kickstarter.com/projects/spac...
February 18 2020: Draft 4 of book two in the Seeds of Dissolution timeline is complete! This fixes the last bits of feedback, as well as some consistencies I noticed while writing the third book. That means it's back to book 3, to start making large structural changes based on my writing group feedback. The Kickstarter is still a go for April!
January 15 2020: I'm finished with draft 2 of book three in the Seeds of Dissolution timeline! Going back now to make some small changes based on feedback in book two. I plan to release these in May and July of 2020, with a Kickstarter running in April. You can the first copies of the books as well as some cool swag by backing! The titles are as follows:
The Seeds of Dissolution (Book 1)
Facets of the Nether (Book 2)
Fall of the Imperium (Book 3)
October 8 2019: Starting on the first draft of book three in the Seeds of Dissolution timeline! I'm planning to release books 2 and 3 close together in 2020.
July 31 2019: The audiobook for The Seeds of Dissolution is now out! So if you like to listen to your books instead of read them, go try it out!
April 26 2019: I finished the second draft of the sequel to The Seeds of Dissolution last week! Currently it's going out to my first batch of alpha readers, and I know a lot of places I need to tidy things up. I should be starting the next draft soon, and will probably start outlining the third book soon.
Feb 20, 2019: If you want a story to tide you over until the sequel comes out, how about a novelette about Origon's past? You can get it for free right here! BookHip.com/PAHQDG
Jan 09, 2019: I'm finished with the rough draft of the next book! Take a look at the page for The Seeds of Dissolution for a full update, since this will be a sequel. I'll be putting in sneak peeks in my monthly newsletter. If you want to sign up (and get a free short story too) head on over to http://williamctracy.com/ and sign up.
First off, I get a lot of questions about which books to read first. A good place to start is either Tuning the Symphony, or the big epic space opera, The Seeds of Dissolution, however, I've purposefully written these books so you can read them in any order, depending on what you like!
I'm currently writing the sequels to The Seeds of Dissolution, and the story will probably be five books long. However, Right now there are four side novellas to choose from: an adventure, a political intrigue (this one), a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery, and a Jules Verne-like adventure. Each one adds a bit more to the universe...
August 4th, 2021: Been a while since I did one of these, but I'm very pleased to announce that my first anthology, Distant Gardens, is released! My stories include one in the Dissolutionverse and one in a new universe. There are eight other stories as well, by my fellow authors!
April 21st 2021: The audiobook for Tales of the Dissolutionverse is released on Audible! Go check it out!
August 25th 2020: Book 3, Fall of the Imperium is out! Time to go finish up the trilogy. What lies in store for Sam, Enos, and Inas?
July 23rd 2020: The cover for book 3, Fall of the Imperium, has been revealed! Mark your calendars for August 25th and the release of the last book of the trilogy!
June 24th 2020: Book 2, Facets of the Nether is released! Go out and get it, people! I'm hoping to finish up Fall of the Imperium in 2-3 weeks, and that one will be released in August to finish out the trilogy.
May 13 2020: The Kickstarter is finished and the covers and illustrations are funded. Thanks to everyone who helped this project. In other news, I've finished the last draft of Facets of the Nether (The Dissolution Cycle book 2) and the planned release date is June 23rd! Now on to another round of edits on book 3, planned for August 2020...
April 08 2020: The Kickstarter for books 2 and 3 of The Seeds of Dissolution is live! You can get the books early, become a character in the story, or have a special Dissolutionverse story written just for you. Check out the link here:
https://kickstarter.com/projects/spac...
February 18 2020: Draft 4 of book two in the Seeds of Dissolution timeline is complete! This fixes the last bits of feedback, as well as some consistencies I noticed while writing the third book. That means it's back to book 3, to start making large structural changes based on my writing group feedback. The Kickstarter is still a go for April!
January 15 2020: I'm finished with draft 2 of book three in the Seeds of Dissolution timeline! Going back now to make some small changes based on feedback in book two. I plan to release these in May and July of 2020, with a Kickstarter running in April. You can the first copies of the books as well as some cool swag by backing! The titles are as follows:
The Seeds of Dissolution (Book 1)
Facets of the Nether (Book 2)
Fall of the Imperium (Book 3)
October 8 2019: Starting on the first draft of book three in the Seeds of Dissolution timeline! I'm planning to release books 2 and 3 close together in 2020.
July 31 2019: The audiobook for The Seeds of Dissolution is now out! So if you like to listen to your books instead of read them, go try it out!
April 26 2019: I finished the second draft of the sequel to The Seeds of Dissolution last week! Currently it's going out to my first batch of alpha readers, and I know a lot of places I need to tidy things up. I should be starting the next draft soon, and will probably start outlining the third book soon.
Feb 20, 2019: If you want a story to tide you over until the sequel comes out, how about a novelette about Origon's past? You can get it for free right here! BookHip.com/PAHQDG
Jan 09, 2019: I'm finished with the rough draft of the next book! Take a look at the page for The Seeds of Dissolution for a full update, since this will be a sequel. I'll be putting in sneak peeks in my monthly newsletter. If you want to sign up (and get a free short story too) head on over to http://williamctracy.com/ and sign up.
November 28, 2016
**I received a copy of Merchants and Maji courtesy William Tracy in exchange for an honest review.** You can also find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
Merchants and Maji is a science fantasy novella that consists of two tales set in William C. Tracy's Dissolutionverse. This was my first foray into the Dissolutionverse world and the writing of Tracy, and it proved to be a thrilling and wildly entertaining read.
The first installment, "Last Delivery," introduces a delightful cast of characters that I feel really brought this story to life. Prot is a passionate and endearing character that immediately made me want to root for him; he is savvy and quick-witted, but he also has his soft spots and is open-minded. His decisions were very realistic, and I found him to be a relatable character overall. Prot's girlfriend, Amra, is also a highly relatable and enjoyable character, and I loved seeing the interactions between the two of them. The rest of the characters, such as Kamuli and Bhon, brought even greater depth and entertainment to the story, and I liked watching the team work together throughout a variety of obstacles.
The second story, "The First Majus in Space," brought forth a different but just as exciting story that introduces readers to the memorable character of Origon Cyrysi, as well as provides a deeper look into Tracy's unique magic system. Origon is a strong-headed character that has no problem taking the lead and asserting his own authority in a situation. I found everything about this story to be intriguing, and I would love to see these characters and worlds expanded into a larger novel.
Both stories were the type that pick you up on page one and plop you right down into the middle of this world, where you are then fully immersed in a well-developed and unique world. I've found that books that throw you right into the action with little explanation tend to either be extremely successful, or entirely confusing, so fortunately Merchants and Maji seemed to fall into the former category. Tracy gives us enough backstory and information to understand what is going on, but there is still plenty to discover on your own.
Tracy's writing style is swift, thorough, and always engaging. Every once in a while, however, I would come across a scene or set of dialogue that felt slightly out-of-place or awkward, but this was such a minor occurrence that it did not affect my reading experience much. The rest of the story and writing was strong enough that these minor issues could easily be overlooked and overcome as Tracy continues to write. And as much as I loved the unique idea behind this magic system, I feel like it needs a bit more fleshing out, which is something that a short novella just can't quite provide.
I think that these two stories provide an extremely promising start for what could be expanded into a more expanded and developed full-length story. The magic system is intriguing, the world-building is meticulously done, and the various races and political happenings provide an abundance of potential. Overall, I am giving Merchants and Maji four stars!
Merchants and Maji is a science fantasy novella that consists of two tales set in William C. Tracy's Dissolutionverse. This was my first foray into the Dissolutionverse world and the writing of Tracy, and it proved to be a thrilling and wildly entertaining read.
The first installment, "Last Delivery," introduces a delightful cast of characters that I feel really brought this story to life. Prot is a passionate and endearing character that immediately made me want to root for him; he is savvy and quick-witted, but he also has his soft spots and is open-minded. His decisions were very realistic, and I found him to be a relatable character overall. Prot's girlfriend, Amra, is also a highly relatable and enjoyable character, and I loved seeing the interactions between the two of them. The rest of the characters, such as Kamuli and Bhon, brought even greater depth and entertainment to the story, and I liked watching the team work together throughout a variety of obstacles.
The second story, "The First Majus in Space," brought forth a different but just as exciting story that introduces readers to the memorable character of Origon Cyrysi, as well as provides a deeper look into Tracy's unique magic system. Origon is a strong-headed character that has no problem taking the lead and asserting his own authority in a situation. I found everything about this story to be intriguing, and I would love to see these characters and worlds expanded into a larger novel.
Both stories were the type that pick you up on page one and plop you right down into the middle of this world, where you are then fully immersed in a well-developed and unique world. I've found that books that throw you right into the action with little explanation tend to either be extremely successful, or entirely confusing, so fortunately Merchants and Maji seemed to fall into the former category. Tracy gives us enough backstory and information to understand what is going on, but there is still plenty to discover on your own.
Tracy's writing style is swift, thorough, and always engaging. Every once in a while, however, I would come across a scene or set of dialogue that felt slightly out-of-place or awkward, but this was such a minor occurrence that it did not affect my reading experience much. The rest of the story and writing was strong enough that these minor issues could easily be overlooked and overcome as Tracy continues to write. And as much as I loved the unique idea behind this magic system, I feel like it needs a bit more fleshing out, which is something that a short novella just can't quite provide.
I think that these two stories provide an extremely promising start for what could be expanded into a more expanded and developed full-length story. The magic system is intriguing, the world-building is meticulously done, and the various races and political happenings provide an abundance of potential. Overall, I am giving Merchants and Maji four stars!
December 12, 2016
I was approached by the author of this book after he saw I had reviewed a Brandon Sanderson book. He thought that I would like his book due to the similarities in genre so he took the chance by offering me a copy to review for him. I am glad he did.
This book was very enjoyable to read. It has a steampunk sci-fi feel to it so anyone who liked the Firefly/Serenity series/movie and/or liked Brandon Sanderson's books on the Allow of Law will most likely greatly enjoy this book.
It is not a long read, which is the only reason I rate this one as a four rather than a five star. The book is broken up into two parts of a story. The first part follows one set of individuals which makes me think of a Firefly episode, while the second part then goes into a few years after the first and the problems which are still arising from certain events. While this is fine for the most part, I feel a little cheated about learning and meeting these characters in the first section and then never finding out what exactly did happen to them. In the second section I did not even realize years had passed until half to 3/4th of the way through it when the original incident was even mentioned.
I truly hope the author comes out with another book from this world and makes it a bit longer with sticking with all the same characters, but besides that it was a very enjoyable read. Thank you Mr. Tracy for allowing me the opportunity to read and review your book.
This book was very enjoyable to read. It has a steampunk sci-fi feel to it so anyone who liked the Firefly/Serenity series/movie and/or liked Brandon Sanderson's books on the Allow of Law will most likely greatly enjoy this book.
It is not a long read, which is the only reason I rate this one as a four rather than a five star. The book is broken up into two parts of a story. The first part follows one set of individuals which makes me think of a Firefly episode, while the second part then goes into a few years after the first and the problems which are still arising from certain events. While this is fine for the most part, I feel a little cheated about learning and meeting these characters in the first section and then never finding out what exactly did happen to them. In the second section I did not even realize years had passed until half to 3/4th of the way through it when the original incident was even mentioned.
I truly hope the author comes out with another book from this world and makes it a bit longer with sticking with all the same characters, but besides that it was a very enjoyable read. Thank you Mr. Tracy for allowing me the opportunity to read and review your book.
October 16, 2016
Another great couple installments to the Dissolutionverse series! Last Delivery is the fast-paced and intense journey of a down-on-his-luck merchant and his crew. Their involvement in a shady scheme tests both their morality and their faith in one another. I loved Prot’s character from beginning to end; he is passionate, driven, and roguish as anyone should be who pilots an old smuggler’s ship for a living. The First Majus In Space is the intricately-told story of a magically-piloted spaceship. Being inside the head of Origon, a powerful majus, allows the reader to experience the nuances of Tracy’s unique musically-based magic system. Although Origon thinks himself unsurpassable when it comes to magic, he finds himself challenged in unexpected and frightening ways—ways that hint of a darker universe than he ever suspected. Merchants and Maji was hard to put down once I started, and left me eager for the next Dissolutionverse release.
November 19, 2016
‘Last Delivery’ was something new for me, a Dissolutionverse story that did not feature my grumpy friend Origon Cyrysi, but I need not have worried. I found Prot just as likeable, and just a shout-at-page frustrating (occasionally) as Origon, which was good news indeed. A different perspective on the Dissolutionverse, this story did not follow the high and mighty affairs of the maji, but rather the struggles of a group of grafters operating on an entirely different plane of Bill Tracy’s colourful and quixotic domain.
‘The First Majus in Space’ reunited me with Origon in a rollicking tale of death and deceit on the byways of space. The Symphony takes centre stage here, in a story that displays many elements of the magical force that Bill Tracy has imagineered to lie at the heart of his Dissolutionverse, and keep it whizzing along.
‘The First Majus in Space’ reunited me with Origon in a rollicking tale of death and deceit on the byways of space. The Symphony takes centre stage here, in a story that displays many elements of the magical force that Bill Tracy has imagineered to lie at the heart of his Dissolutionverse, and keep it whizzing along.
November 21, 2016
I thought this was a decent early effort from a new author. The world has promise; the magic system is interesting, the interspecies relationships provide lots of opportunity for drama, and it is a big world. However, this was a pair of short stories, so not a ton of space to explore that and see how it will unfold.
The first story was interesting, but stilted - not huge flaws, just a lot of little things that kept dropping me out of the story. The second was better, it flowed more smoothly and drew me more deeply into the world.
I think there is a good chance that the promised full length novel / series will have enough space to develop the world more fully; this was good enough that I want to at least see what is coming.
The first story was interesting, but stilted - not huge flaws, just a lot of little things that kept dropping me out of the story. The second was better, it flowed more smoothly and drew me more deeply into the world.
I think there is a good chance that the promised full length novel / series will have enough space to develop the world more fully; this was good enough that I want to at least see what is coming.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews