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Red Season #1
Red Season Rising
A feud between Gods.
A nation besieged by armies of man, and demon.
A man seeking redemption, and peace.
Kalfinar is a grieving addict. Once a decorated and respected soldier, he has been demoted and disgraced.
The relative peace of his half-life is shattered by the onset of chaos and war.
Tormented by visions, he is marked for possession, and hunted by demons.
Amidst the all-consuming ruin of a war between Gods, Kalfinar must lead the fight to defend a faith he has abandoned, and a nation that has disowned him.
Red Season Rising is the debut novel of D.M. Murray and marks the beginning of a new epic fantasy series.
A nation besieged by armies of man, and demon.
A man seeking redemption, and peace.
Kalfinar is a grieving addict. Once a decorated and respected soldier, he has been demoted and disgraced.
The relative peace of his half-life is shattered by the onset of chaos and war.
Tormented by visions, he is marked for possession, and hunted by demons.
Amidst the all-consuming ruin of a war between Gods, Kalfinar must lead the fight to defend a faith he has abandoned, and a nation that has disowned him.
Red Season Rising is the debut novel of D.M. Murray and marks the beginning of a new epic fantasy series.
567 pages, ebook
First published September 5, 2016
40 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 19, 2018
What can I say, I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Bloody battles, crazy magic, truly frightening demons, and fascinating characters. A few reviews have mentioned some roughness in the writing, but it's my understanding it was recently cleaned up quite a bit. What really kept me going was the incredibly deep and intricate world-building, complex but intriguing storyline and connections between characters, and unexpected traversal of the narrative. There's so much here to sink your reading teeth into. I don't know how Murray managed to keep it straight in his own head. A bold and exciting debut, IMHO.
December 31, 2017
Hard, fast and wicked-good fun. Dominick Murray's debut is a little rough around the edges, but boy oh boy does it improve as it goes along. The final extended battle sequence is phenomenally paced, and the entire novel is filled throughout with moments of excitement, dread, and emotion. A strong debut, and I'm very much looking forward to reading book two, Too Cold to Bleed.
May 14, 2018
A unique yet strangely familiar setting in an interesting world, three-dimensional and compelling characters, a fast and even pace and an exciting battle scene are just a few things that I enjoyed in Red Season Rising by Dominick Murray. Easily one of the most enjoyable self-published books I've read in ages. If you're looking for a fun and fast read, give it a go!
July 20, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5
The review was originally posted at Fantasy Book Review and also available on my blog with a few added extras :)
I've got a copy in exchange of an honest review.
After an assassination attempt, Kalfinar and his cousin, Broden head to Carta to advise of the news and seek out doctors along the way for Kalfinar's shoulder is injured. Little do they know what awaits them. One god is rising, the others are asleep and only a handful of people can save the country from the oncoming horror. The red season is rising, and Kalfinar will need all his willpower to face what's to come. Haunted by his past, constantly fighting with his need for jalsinum - a drug similar to opium - and dealing with his guilt, he is far from the perfect person to lead the quest he had been sent to accomplish. Of course, he and his companions are hindered here and there, and more than one dead body litters the city grounds after them and even more awaits at the end of the road.
There are three main plotlines in Red Season Rising we follow through several characters eyes. To begin, we have Kalfinar, the soldier, ex-addict, broken man without much hope in his life, aided by loyal friends and family. D.M. Murray obviously spent a lot of time fleshing him out and he is the most developed character in this book. It's hard to decide if you want to root for him or slap him and advise him to stop being a self-pitying prick. Another character who was also pretty well-developed is Thaskil, the young lieutenant who finds himself with a burden he might not be able to bear although he proves himself wiser than his years might suggest. So many things are happening throughout the book, that supporting characters don't seem to have enough space to really shine and show their depth and therefore remain a bit flat and one dimensional.
As for the writing, now, that needs some improvement. The battle scenes at the end are very well written and keep you on the edge of your seat. Actually, all the battle scenes are well paced and engaging and this aspect of the book will be very well received. However, it felt like some of the plot lines weren't well thought out. It probably would have been better to split this book into two and give more space to the quest, to explain the conflict between the gods and their relationship with humans (the Priestess and the Master God for example), to give place to the prophecy's significance to really sink in. Oh, and explore the cities they visit, Enulin and Narbuuk. Both of them have different vibes surrounding them, one Asian-esque and the other is Mediterranean-like. Sadly we only get glimpses of them. Despite the obvious obstacles, it felt like it was too easy to tackle the quest, and in one case the meeting with a side character was too convenient to be believable. I mean, you broke into a home, and 10 minutes later you are chatting over a cup of tea sharing important information with each other. I could not see that happening. Although this quest was important, the way Murray wove the story it came across more like an inconvenience they had to rush through so the real bloodshed could begin.
I found it hard to wrap my mind around the whole Dajda's Horn and Anulii concept and honestly can't see how this is going to work out. The cryptic conversations between characters about the next step didn't help things, and would have lost my temper in Kalfinar's place, because the three brothers didn't make bloody sense. Also, why the hell did Olmat send a small piece of skin with Kalfinar which is never mentioned again? And why does Kalfinar has the abilities he has? There is one more plotline which ended abruptly and we never learned what happened after that. Hopefully the second book will hold some answers for that. And it won't be full of the phrase: "such was the". For some reasons I found that pretty annoying.
On the other hand, Murray's prose can be quite poetic at places. The writing lets us get a glimpse into the characters thoughts so we can gain a better picture of them. The returning rhythm which appears throughout the book accentuates Kalfinar's character and his change pretty well.
"Smoke and blood, whores and mud."
He has the skill to portray emotions and give really picturesque descriptions, like Kalfinar's dreams or like this one:
"His scarred face split in an ugly smile, revealing his rotting teeth, blackened headstones in a graveyard of a mouth."
Also, he manages to surprise the readers with twists hard to see coming and thus keep them reading on.
Red Season Rising is the debut novel of D.M. Murray, and as such, has a few flaws and leaves a lot of places for improvement. It is an ambitious first book of a new epic fantasy series and probably will appeal to many fantasy readers who love well composed battles and characters who aren't all that perfect themselves. And while it's fairly well written, I just didn't feel as engaged as I should have. To be fair, I don't think it's the book's fault altogether. I'm learning that some epic fantasy and especially those with lengthy battle scenes aren't always my thing at the moment.
Overall, Red Season Rising is a fast-paced, intriguing and promising dark fantasy debut. Maybe it's not perfect, and maybe not everyone will like it, but it has the potential to be epic. It has a ruthless, cruel villain you'll love to hate, a main character who fights with addiction while trying to keep his head clear, and side characters whom you might find liking. The red season is rising, and your soul is at stake. You better pray to Dajda to keep you safe until her children come to embrace you.
The review was originally posted at Fantasy Book Review and also available on my blog with a few added extras :)
I've got a copy in exchange of an honest review.
After an assassination attempt, Kalfinar and his cousin, Broden head to Carta to advise of the news and seek out doctors along the way for Kalfinar's shoulder is injured. Little do they know what awaits them. One god is rising, the others are asleep and only a handful of people can save the country from the oncoming horror. The red season is rising, and Kalfinar will need all his willpower to face what's to come. Haunted by his past, constantly fighting with his need for jalsinum - a drug similar to opium - and dealing with his guilt, he is far from the perfect person to lead the quest he had been sent to accomplish. Of course, he and his companions are hindered here and there, and more than one dead body litters the city grounds after them and even more awaits at the end of the road.
There are three main plotlines in Red Season Rising we follow through several characters eyes. To begin, we have Kalfinar, the soldier, ex-addict, broken man without much hope in his life, aided by loyal friends and family. D.M. Murray obviously spent a lot of time fleshing him out and he is the most developed character in this book. It's hard to decide if you want to root for him or slap him and advise him to stop being a self-pitying prick. Another character who was also pretty well-developed is Thaskil, the young lieutenant who finds himself with a burden he might not be able to bear although he proves himself wiser than his years might suggest. So many things are happening throughout the book, that supporting characters don't seem to have enough space to really shine and show their depth and therefore remain a bit flat and one dimensional.
As for the writing, now, that needs some improvement. The battle scenes at the end are very well written and keep you on the edge of your seat. Actually, all the battle scenes are well paced and engaging and this aspect of the book will be very well received. However, it felt like some of the plot lines weren't well thought out. It probably would have been better to split this book into two and give more space to the quest, to explain the conflict between the gods and their relationship with humans (the Priestess and the Master God for example), to give place to the prophecy's significance to really sink in. Oh, and explore the cities they visit, Enulin and Narbuuk. Both of them have different vibes surrounding them, one Asian-esque and the other is Mediterranean-like. Sadly we only get glimpses of them. Despite the obvious obstacles, it felt like it was too easy to tackle the quest, and in one case the meeting with a side character was too convenient to be believable. I mean, you broke into a home, and 10 minutes later you are chatting over a cup of tea sharing important information with each other. I could not see that happening. Although this quest was important, the way Murray wove the story it came across more like an inconvenience they had to rush through so the real bloodshed could begin.
I found it hard to wrap my mind around the whole Dajda's Horn and Anulii concept and honestly can't see how this is going to work out. The cryptic conversations between characters about the next step didn't help things, and would have lost my temper in Kalfinar's place, because the three brothers didn't make bloody sense. Also, why the hell did Olmat send a small piece of skin with Kalfinar which is never mentioned again? And why does Kalfinar has the abilities he has? There is one more plotline which ended abruptly and we never learned what happened after that. Hopefully the second book will hold some answers for that. And it won't be full of the phrase: "such was the". For some reasons I found that pretty annoying.
On the other hand, Murray's prose can be quite poetic at places. The writing lets us get a glimpse into the characters thoughts so we can gain a better picture of them. The returning rhythm which appears throughout the book accentuates Kalfinar's character and his change pretty well.
"Smoke and blood, whores and mud."
He has the skill to portray emotions and give really picturesque descriptions, like Kalfinar's dreams or like this one:
"His scarred face split in an ugly smile, revealing his rotting teeth, blackened headstones in a graveyard of a mouth."
Also, he manages to surprise the readers with twists hard to see coming and thus keep them reading on.
Red Season Rising is the debut novel of D.M. Murray, and as such, has a few flaws and leaves a lot of places for improvement. It is an ambitious first book of a new epic fantasy series and probably will appeal to many fantasy readers who love well composed battles and characters who aren't all that perfect themselves. And while it's fairly well written, I just didn't feel as engaged as I should have. To be fair, I don't think it's the book's fault altogether. I'm learning that some epic fantasy and especially those with lengthy battle scenes aren't always my thing at the moment.
Overall, Red Season Rising is a fast-paced, intriguing and promising dark fantasy debut. Maybe it's not perfect, and maybe not everyone will like it, but it has the potential to be epic. It has a ruthless, cruel villain you'll love to hate, a main character who fights with addiction while trying to keep his head clear, and side characters whom you might find liking. The red season is rising, and your soul is at stake. You better pray to Dajda to keep you safe until her children come to embrace you.
May 30, 2017
Red Season Rising is an epic fantasy story about the invasion of a fantasy kingdom by an unknown human tribe, an army of the empire they used to belong to, and a mysterious new god who offers them power in exchange for worship. It's fairly high fantasy stuff but, surprisingly, the book remains grounded and visceral throughout.
Red Season Rising definitely feels more low fantasy despite the presence of demons and the literal presence of the gods in their lives. The mood for the book is grim throughout and it's definitely a work which should appeal to those who enjoy their fantasy harsh as well as serious. The book is marred, somewhat, by too much explaining and not enough variety in character motivations as well as a black and white morality.
I really enjoyed the opening part of the book which takes place in the middle of an isolated garrison on the edge of the empire, surrounded by snow storms, and an incompetent leader commanding. I've got to say, I would have enjoyed an entire book about this section as the claustrophobia and tension among the men really have a unique feel among the fantasy I've read. For a while, I thought the book was going to be much like the Night's Watch sections of A Song of Ice and Fire with the local troopers versus the natives. Instead, this turns out to just be the prologue for the rest of the book that includes journeys across much of the setting.
Kalfinar is a humorless protagonist who is perhaps the one atheist in a world full of religious people, having lost his faith due to the horrors of his past. The fact he is considered to be an outcast by his own people worked well for me. Unfortunately, I will say the biggest problem of the book is there's not really anyone to contrast strongly against Kalfinar in terms of personalty. Everyone is deadly serious about the oncoming threat so there's no Tyrions, Han Solos, or even Bronns who would make the narrative a bit lighter.
In fact, I was very intrigued by the villains he set up as characters. We never get their perspective on events but I felt the mysterious island race to the North was a group which was more misunderstood than evil. The villains, by contrast, does a lot of teeth gnashing but is entertainingly hateable. Unlike a lot of fantasy, the competence of the bad guys isn't undermined to make the heroes look good and they remain dangerous throughout. Sadly, the conflict is framed as good vs. evil which I felt limited story options for a low fantasy epic.
Despite this, I think the book's battle scenes are spectacular and the writing for them are the best parts of the book. Indeed, I think the author has a healthy career ahead of him if he chooses to write war fiction as the conflicts are extremely well-done. World-building wise, everything is consistent and it's clear a lot of attention went into making this setting as detailed as it is. This is definitely a world with many cultures, religions, and interactions which make it feel "real" as well as alive.
A warning that this book ends on a cliffhanger and I really-really hate those. The author should get on the sequel pronto.
7/10
Red Season Rising definitely feels more low fantasy despite the presence of demons and the literal presence of the gods in their lives. The mood for the book is grim throughout and it's definitely a work which should appeal to those who enjoy their fantasy harsh as well as serious. The book is marred, somewhat, by too much explaining and not enough variety in character motivations as well as a black and white morality.
I really enjoyed the opening part of the book which takes place in the middle of an isolated garrison on the edge of the empire, surrounded by snow storms, and an incompetent leader commanding. I've got to say, I would have enjoyed an entire book about this section as the claustrophobia and tension among the men really have a unique feel among the fantasy I've read. For a while, I thought the book was going to be much like the Night's Watch sections of A Song of Ice and Fire with the local troopers versus the natives. Instead, this turns out to just be the prologue for the rest of the book that includes journeys across much of the setting.
Kalfinar is a humorless protagonist who is perhaps the one atheist in a world full of religious people, having lost his faith due to the horrors of his past. The fact he is considered to be an outcast by his own people worked well for me. Unfortunately, I will say the biggest problem of the book is there's not really anyone to contrast strongly against Kalfinar in terms of personalty. Everyone is deadly serious about the oncoming threat so there's no Tyrions, Han Solos, or even Bronns who would make the narrative a bit lighter.
In fact, I was very intrigued by the villains he set up as characters. We never get their perspective on events but I felt the mysterious island race to the North was a group which was more misunderstood than evil. The villains, by contrast, does a lot of teeth gnashing but is entertainingly hateable. Unlike a lot of fantasy, the competence of the bad guys isn't undermined to make the heroes look good and they remain dangerous throughout. Sadly, the conflict is framed as good vs. evil which I felt limited story options for a low fantasy epic.
Despite this, I think the book's battle scenes are spectacular and the writing for them are the best parts of the book. Indeed, I think the author has a healthy career ahead of him if he chooses to write war fiction as the conflicts are extremely well-done. World-building wise, everything is consistent and it's clear a lot of attention went into making this setting as detailed as it is. This is definitely a world with many cultures, religions, and interactions which make it feel "real" as well as alive.
A warning that this book ends on a cliffhanger and I really-really hate those. The author should get on the sequel pronto.
7/10
April 19, 2020
A review of
Red Season Rising
By
D.M. Murray
I read the debut novel and first in book in the Red Season series by D.M. Murray. It proved a gritty and exciting read. Opening with a mysterious coordinated assassination in a frozen outpost in the mountains, it’s pretty much action from the beginning. We follow the exploits of Kalfinar, a soldier of the Free Provinces who is haunted by his past, and his cousin Broden as they seek to discover the origins of the strange grey skinned assassins with burning eyes. We are sucked into the intrigue and military action of the Red Season series, as the King Grunnxe of Solansia, a man thought to have died on the end of Kalfinar’s sword and the enemy of the Free Provinces is perhaps not quite as dead as once thought. The ensuing war is not simply between nations but between the very gods themselves as they vie for power through the manipulation of their chosen peoples.
There is a very religious overtone in these books, as the Free Provinces worship their god Dajda, Kalfinar and Broden’s old mentor and scholar Olmat directs them to others in the service of Dadja and the ‘church’ (for lack of a better word), which takes on quite a Christian vibe. The other god and its servants take on the demonic evil blood thirsty types as good and evil do battle. I enjoyed the character of Evelyne and her ‘holy quest’ that takes Kalfinar and Broden to far flung places in their search as they are pursued by demonic forces.
The strongest theme I noticed was the military theme, we follow the exploits of military officers and the fight scenes and battle sequences are very well done. The writing was great, in the opening chapters you almost felt the cold as they make their journey through the snow, the descriptions are vivid and the world is well rendered. The plot is fast paced and we get enough point of view characters and enough plot threads to keep us engaged throughout.
I particularly liked the whole living dead plot line, the monsters themselves were well done and the premise was well executed. It made for quite an unexpected and exciting additional foe.
The battle scenes were particularly well done; we have a pair of brutal sieges both quite different and pivotal to the plot.
He has managed to cram a lot of themes, ideas and plot threads into the book and done an excellent job of pulling it off; at no point does it feel too crowded. I really enjoyed this opening novel to D.M. Murray’s Red Season series, Red Season Rising is definitely worth a read, especially if you are a fan of military fantasy. It’s not simply just a military fantasy book though it’s so much more and has a little bit of everything to cater to most fantasy reader’s tastes making it perhaps epic military fantasy? I don’t like to pigeon-hole things, so I will say instead It’s simply just a great read which I recommend you check out.
Thanks for reading,
Lee C. Conley
Red Season Rising
By
D.M. Murray
I read the debut novel and first in book in the Red Season series by D.M. Murray. It proved a gritty and exciting read. Opening with a mysterious coordinated assassination in a frozen outpost in the mountains, it’s pretty much action from the beginning. We follow the exploits of Kalfinar, a soldier of the Free Provinces who is haunted by his past, and his cousin Broden as they seek to discover the origins of the strange grey skinned assassins with burning eyes. We are sucked into the intrigue and military action of the Red Season series, as the King Grunnxe of Solansia, a man thought to have died on the end of Kalfinar’s sword and the enemy of the Free Provinces is perhaps not quite as dead as once thought. The ensuing war is not simply between nations but between the very gods themselves as they vie for power through the manipulation of their chosen peoples.
There is a very religious overtone in these books, as the Free Provinces worship their god Dajda, Kalfinar and Broden’s old mentor and scholar Olmat directs them to others in the service of Dadja and the ‘church’ (for lack of a better word), which takes on quite a Christian vibe. The other god and its servants take on the demonic evil blood thirsty types as good and evil do battle. I enjoyed the character of Evelyne and her ‘holy quest’ that takes Kalfinar and Broden to far flung places in their search as they are pursued by demonic forces.
The strongest theme I noticed was the military theme, we follow the exploits of military officers and the fight scenes and battle sequences are very well done. The writing was great, in the opening chapters you almost felt the cold as they make their journey through the snow, the descriptions are vivid and the world is well rendered. The plot is fast paced and we get enough point of view characters and enough plot threads to keep us engaged throughout.
I particularly liked the whole living dead plot line, the monsters themselves were well done and the premise was well executed. It made for quite an unexpected and exciting additional foe.
The battle scenes were particularly well done; we have a pair of brutal sieges both quite different and pivotal to the plot.
He has managed to cram a lot of themes, ideas and plot threads into the book and done an excellent job of pulling it off; at no point does it feel too crowded. I really enjoyed this opening novel to D.M. Murray’s Red Season series, Red Season Rising is definitely worth a read, especially if you are a fan of military fantasy. It’s not simply just a military fantasy book though it’s so much more and has a little bit of everything to cater to most fantasy reader’s tastes making it perhaps epic military fantasy? I don’t like to pigeon-hole things, so I will say instead It’s simply just a great read which I recommend you check out.
Thanks for reading,
Lee C. Conley
June 14, 2018
Fantastic! This is grim, dark and epic all in one! What a debut novel and a return to grim dark fiction for me.
January 1, 2022
This one started off a bit wobbly, but got better and better the farther in I got.
I really enjoyed the main characters once they felt fully fleshed out, and there was a death (or two...) that really suckerpunched me. That already tells you that this is no light breeze of a book, but it has violence, gore, swearing and characters are not promised to survive... For me it was a good balance between action, fighting, character development and a slowly expanding world.
The worldbuilding itself was interesting, though not always completely interwoven with the story. There was the occasional infodump, but all in all I was able to really dive in and get lost in this new environment. Just as with the characters, the second half of the book felt way smoother in this regard too! Once the world, gods, borders, enemies and allies and all such are known, you get to really focus on the plot and the pacing speeds up!
There were a few typos I hope will be edited out soon, and some repetitive diction, but mostly the prose was well crafted enough to stay in the background without throwing me out of the story.
I especially liked the action scenes that where chaotic enough to feel real but not confusing. They weren't overly long, so as to start to feel boring, but instead action packed and exciting! Definitely one of the strengths of the book!
The finale was amazing, and had me glued to the pages, so I got to bed way too late! The author really hit his stride in the last third of the book, and I can't wait for book two, which luckily will be out soon!
All in all a really good and entertaining grimdark story I enjoyed a lot, and an author I'll definitely keep a close eye on!
I really enjoyed the main characters once they felt fully fleshed out, and there was a death (or two...) that really suckerpunched me. That already tells you that this is no light breeze of a book, but it has violence, gore, swearing and characters are not promised to survive... For me it was a good balance between action, fighting, character development and a slowly expanding world.
The worldbuilding itself was interesting, though not always completely interwoven with the story. There was the occasional infodump, but all in all I was able to really dive in and get lost in this new environment. Just as with the characters, the second half of the book felt way smoother in this regard too! Once the world, gods, borders, enemies and allies and all such are known, you get to really focus on the plot and the pacing speeds up!
There were a few typos I hope will be edited out soon, and some repetitive diction, but mostly the prose was well crafted enough to stay in the background without throwing me out of the story.
I especially liked the action scenes that where chaotic enough to feel real but not confusing. They weren't overly long, so as to start to feel boring, but instead action packed and exciting! Definitely one of the strengths of the book!
The finale was amazing, and had me glued to the pages, so I got to bed way too late! The author really hit his stride in the last third of the book, and I can't wait for book two, which luckily will be out soon!
All in all a really good and entertaining grimdark story I enjoyed a lot, and an author I'll definitely keep a close eye on!
May 6, 2018
Fun book to read, it gets better throughout the book and I really enjoyed it! The second book will be out soon and I'll certainly be reading it!
I think it could have used some more polishing and wanted to give it 3,5 stars but because of the way the book improved throughout and how I liked the battle scenes in the end I rounded it up to 4 stars. Well worth your time!
I think it could have used some more polishing and wanted to give it 3,5 stars but because of the way the book improved throughout and how I liked the battle scenes in the end I rounded it up to 4 stars. Well worth your time!
February 19, 2018
It feels like an odd mash-up of darker fantasy like Mark Lawrence with older high fantasy like David Eddings. I just found the tone too inconsistent - prophecy, hope, and dualism don't really mix well with grim dark. I did also feel that too many characters got added and I started having trouble remembering who was who - a problem I tend to have with epic fantasy. Still, I did finish it...so your mileage may vary.
Read
March 7, 2018Fuck it. DNF @ page 74.
March 1, 2018
Worth reading
I enjoyed this book. There were some flaws, at times the pacing of the plot seemed to stutter along or race ahead rather than flow and certain scenes seemed slightly contrived in order to either push the plot on or to inform the reader of something we needed to know. For me the saving grace was the main character, Kalfinar who I thought was great and enjoyed following, as I did Thaskil and Brodan. Though some amongst the host of minor characters blended together a bit and could have done with a bit more investment at an individual level.
Overall I enjoyed it a lot, recommend it and look forward to the sequel.
I enjoyed this book. There were some flaws, at times the pacing of the plot seemed to stutter along or race ahead rather than flow and certain scenes seemed slightly contrived in order to either push the plot on or to inform the reader of something we needed to know. For me the saving grace was the main character, Kalfinar who I thought was great and enjoyed following, as I did Thaskil and Brodan. Though some amongst the host of minor characters blended together a bit and could have done with a bit more investment at an individual level.
Overall I enjoyed it a lot, recommend it and look forward to the sequel.
May 4, 2017
I had fun reading this book!
Sure, there are some familiar themes running through the story, but the premise overall is enticing, and in particular the use of emerging threat in the book keeps the pressure ramping up incrementally.
When dealing with familiar themes, the characters are critical. I felt the principle characters were well rounded, with their flaws in particular standing out and giving them more to relate to (mostly). The relationships between Kalfinar and Broden, as well as that of Thaskil and Bergnon felt very much ‘lived in’ and natural. There are of course characters who I felt were almost too disposable for the sake of the plot, but I’ll give the writer a pass given it is big old sprawling, complex plot. I’ll keep an eye out for the follow up, and would like to think the writer can ensure improvement on this front.
In terms of pacing and the general structure of the plot: pace-wise, I think things moved along well. The opening is great, a quick hook and then a layering of mystery. The author certainly drew me in with this, and I must admit that I can still see the action as though my introduction to Murray's work was cinematic rather than the written word! Roughly a third of the way in, the the pace really goes into overdrive, with a structure change in that the POV splits, following different characters as a mechanism for delivering the broad plot and geography.
On the whole, the story skips along and is an entertaining one. The fight scenes were always good fun, and the relationships between characters felt real and valuable. The writing was smooth, but not without the occasional error; but that said, in a book of this size, there will always be small errors here and there. Not enough for me to get my knickers in a twist.
An enjoyable read and in my opinion an encouraging first chapter in my own review of Murray's work.
Sure, there are some familiar themes running through the story, but the premise overall is enticing, and in particular the use of emerging threat in the book keeps the pressure ramping up incrementally.
When dealing with familiar themes, the characters are critical. I felt the principle characters were well rounded, with their flaws in particular standing out and giving them more to relate to (mostly). The relationships between Kalfinar and Broden, as well as that of Thaskil and Bergnon felt very much ‘lived in’ and natural. There are of course characters who I felt were almost too disposable for the sake of the plot, but I’ll give the writer a pass given it is big old sprawling, complex plot. I’ll keep an eye out for the follow up, and would like to think the writer can ensure improvement on this front.
In terms of pacing and the general structure of the plot: pace-wise, I think things moved along well. The opening is great, a quick hook and then a layering of mystery. The author certainly drew me in with this, and I must admit that I can still see the action as though my introduction to Murray's work was cinematic rather than the written word! Roughly a third of the way in, the the pace really goes into overdrive, with a structure change in that the POV splits, following different characters as a mechanism for delivering the broad plot and geography.
On the whole, the story skips along and is an entertaining one. The fight scenes were always good fun, and the relationships between characters felt real and valuable. The writing was smooth, but not without the occasional error; but that said, in a book of this size, there will always be small errors here and there. Not enough for me to get my knickers in a twist.
An enjoyable read and in my opinion an encouraging first chapter in my own review of Murray's work.
May 6, 2018
If you like you swords bloody and your shields battered then this is a book for you. It has a feeling of the heroic fantasy days of old.
I was recommended this book by a friend of mine, and I admit it had me intrigued from the moment I read the synopsis. Kalfinar is indeed a troubled soul, and it becomes clear that he needs to get his act together very quickly if he is to survive. The novel feels like a game of chess in the way the plot gets deeper and deeper. As the characters look to resolve one problem, there is another right on top of them. With so many cleverly crafted parts moving together you cant seem to put the book down. There are multiple POV's and each bring their own voice to the story. Thaskil and Bergnon were a particular highlight. The author can write battles VERY well.
As this is a first novel by the author you can see areas that could do with improving. Some of the themes feel familiar, but there are many ways to cook eggs as Stephen King says. I think book 1 serves as a good springboard into book 2, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.
I was recommended this book by a friend of mine, and I admit it had me intrigued from the moment I read the synopsis. Kalfinar is indeed a troubled soul, and it becomes clear that he needs to get his act together very quickly if he is to survive. The novel feels like a game of chess in the way the plot gets deeper and deeper. As the characters look to resolve one problem, there is another right on top of them. With so many cleverly crafted parts moving together you cant seem to put the book down. There are multiple POV's and each bring their own voice to the story. Thaskil and Bergnon were a particular highlight. The author can write battles VERY well.
As this is a first novel by the author you can see areas that could do with improving. Some of the themes feel familiar, but there are many ways to cook eggs as Stephen King says. I think book 1 serves as a good springboard into book 2, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.
February 5, 2017
This book is a solid debut that needs a little bit growing to come into its own.
It delivers classic epic fantasy that should feel familiar to anyone with a bit of experience in the genre. That familiarity is not bad, in fact it leads to more than one surprise when the plot turns into an unexpected direction. On the other hand, the characters are almost too familiar and show little ambition in developing into interesting directions. Some scenes simply don’t work and at times I wished the author had a little more confidence in his protagonist to tell the story. Those are minor problems at worst and all in all I quite liked the story, the style and even the familiar characters. There is a lot of potential on a very solid base and I want (and hope) to see how this world develops further.
I am looking forward to the next book, not just because I want to see how the author writes himself out of the corner he has written himself into.
It delivers classic epic fantasy that should feel familiar to anyone with a bit of experience in the genre. That familiarity is not bad, in fact it leads to more than one surprise when the plot turns into an unexpected direction. On the other hand, the characters are almost too familiar and show little ambition in developing into interesting directions. Some scenes simply don’t work and at times I wished the author had a little more confidence in his protagonist to tell the story. Those are minor problems at worst and all in all I quite liked the story, the style and even the familiar characters. There is a lot of potential on a very solid base and I want (and hope) to see how this world develops further.
I am looking forward to the next book, not just because I want to see how the author writes himself out of the corner he has written himself into.
April 1, 2024
Bloody Fantastic.
Boom, D.M. Murray's debut book Red Season Rising is explosive, exhilarating, and bloody brilliant. I was enthralled and captivated by this exciting and absorbing story of fueding gods, demons, zombies, and our main protagonist, Kalfinar, who is looking for redemption from his past failures.
Red Season Rising is the first book in the Red Season Rising series, and it's so good that it captures your interest from the very first page that flows beautifully and keeps you turning page after page with its engrossing content. The characters are so realistic and engaging, and the plot twists are quite exquisite.
If you love Joe Abercrombie, Anthony Ryan books, then you will absolutely love D.M. Murray's writing, it's fast-paced, full of fantastic witticisms, and good camaraderie between the characters in a very dark world. The worldbuilding and setting and plot are just brilliant, which brings you blood drenched epic battles between good and evil.
This is my first foray into D.M. Murray's dark world, and it won't be my last. He has an amazing talent and ability to engage his readers in getting lost in this beautiful dark story. Can't wait to get stuck into book two because that ending just left with me with such a cliffhanger.
Kalfinar is our main protagonist and anti-hero. He has found himself on a road to redemption after being demoted after his wife and child died. He turns to the smoke to black out the memories, but his dreams are haunted by demons, pain, and darkness, which is becoming a reality.
There is a war coming. One God is sleeping, and the other is waking, bringing demons, monsters, plague, and a dead king who has risen who has his sights set on the man who killed him, Kalfinar. Can our Antihero finally become the once decorated officer he once was and banish his demons.
Read it to find out. You won't regret it. A brilliantly and engaging fantasy story that all fans of fantasy should read. I very highly recommend...😁🔥🪓🛡🗡🏹
Boom, D.M. Murray's debut book Red Season Rising is explosive, exhilarating, and bloody brilliant. I was enthralled and captivated by this exciting and absorbing story of fueding gods, demons, zombies, and our main protagonist, Kalfinar, who is looking for redemption from his past failures.
Red Season Rising is the first book in the Red Season Rising series, and it's so good that it captures your interest from the very first page that flows beautifully and keeps you turning page after page with its engrossing content. The characters are so realistic and engaging, and the plot twists are quite exquisite.
If you love Joe Abercrombie, Anthony Ryan books, then you will absolutely love D.M. Murray's writing, it's fast-paced, full of fantastic witticisms, and good camaraderie between the characters in a very dark world. The worldbuilding and setting and plot are just brilliant, which brings you blood drenched epic battles between good and evil.
This is my first foray into D.M. Murray's dark world, and it won't be my last. He has an amazing talent and ability to engage his readers in getting lost in this beautiful dark story. Can't wait to get stuck into book two because that ending just left with me with such a cliffhanger.
Kalfinar is our main protagonist and anti-hero. He has found himself on a road to redemption after being demoted after his wife and child died. He turns to the smoke to black out the memories, but his dreams are haunted by demons, pain, and darkness, which is becoming a reality.
There is a war coming. One God is sleeping, and the other is waking, bringing demons, monsters, plague, and a dead king who has risen who has his sights set on the man who killed him, Kalfinar. Can our Antihero finally become the once decorated officer he once was and banish his demons.
Read it to find out. You won't regret it. A brilliantly and engaging fantasy story that all fans of fantasy should read. I very highly recommend...😁🔥🪓🛡🗡🏹
June 4, 2018
An impressive debut from D.M. Murray in this epic tale of opposition to an ancient evil’s return.
Red Season Rising starts with an eventful night when key members of the nation’s military are massacred in their sleep at an isolated, snow-bound military garrison. Returning to the capital to spread the alarm, grieving leader Kalfinar and his loyal cousin Broden find their nation’s troubles are only beginning as they the full intent of an evil God becomes apparent.
This novel is filled with classic elements of epic fantasy (and more) and has some impressive set pieces that include attacks by bestial creatures, spiritual possession, zombies and sea and land battles.
For a first novel this is a very strong entrant and recommended for lovers of epic fantasy.
Red Season Rising starts with an eventful night when key members of the nation’s military are massacred in their sleep at an isolated, snow-bound military garrison. Returning to the capital to spread the alarm, grieving leader Kalfinar and his loyal cousin Broden find their nation’s troubles are only beginning as they the full intent of an evil God becomes apparent.
This novel is filled with classic elements of epic fantasy (and more) and has some impressive set pieces that include attacks by bestial creatures, spiritual possession, zombies and sea and land battles.
For a first novel this is a very strong entrant and recommended for lovers of epic fantasy.
Currently reading
March 26, 2017Now this is the start of a series to savoury.
February 28, 2018
The beginning has a slow start, yes, but then... holy hell. What a great story and with some very strong characters.
It felt like a movie and I cannot wait for the second book!
It felt like a movie and I cannot wait for the second book!
July 5, 2019
This book was awesome. The characters were great and interacted well. Story line great. Bloody, swearing, swords, self pity, comrade, tactics.
August 8, 2017
This is certainly Epic Fantasy with intentional capitals. It's an interesting book with a great premise and had a lot of fantastic individual moments. Ultimately though there was just too much packed into it for it to hold together.
I found that there were too many story threads with insufficient detail. There was no space to breathe and the world building suffered greatly as a result. It read like the first two books of a trilogy crammed into one.
One moment it's a quest (what happened to this at the end then?) but then the objects are found virtually instantly. The cities visited are cardboard cutouts - the middle eastern one in particular.
The plot was confusing and muddled although that could be me.
On the positive side there were some well written scenes most notably the ones with battles. Some of the characters were truly memorable including Bergnon and Thaksil.
I doubt I'll carry on with this series unless I hear differently about the follow ups but the author definitely has something and I'll look out with interest to future works.
I found that there were too many story threads with insufficient detail. There was no space to breathe and the world building suffered greatly as a result. It read like the first two books of a trilogy crammed into one.
One moment it's a quest (what happened to this at the end then?) but then the objects are found virtually instantly. The cities visited are cardboard cutouts - the middle eastern one in particular.
The plot was confusing and muddled although that could be me.
On the positive side there were some well written scenes most notably the ones with battles. Some of the characters were truly memorable including Bergnon and Thaksil.
I doubt I'll carry on with this series unless I hear differently about the follow ups but the author definitely has something and I'll look out with interest to future works.
May 3, 2017
This book had a good premise, showed up on my recommendation list and was dirt cheap, so I gave it a try.
I read to about half-way through before giving up. There was a decent if not entirely original fantasy story in there, but the writing just isn't up to par. Both the dialogues and narrative often feel wooden and artificial. Past the initial introduction (which is actually okay), characters reveal themselves to be flat and not even self-coherent. Major plot points are swept under the rug in order to advance a story whose degree of sophistication did not really require it. Last nail in the coffin, the editing was also underwhelming: nevermind the major rewrite that should have gone into this, even mundane details like repeated or lacking words are not uncommon.
Can't really recommend this book when there is much better stuff to read out there, sorry.
I read to about half-way through before giving up. There was a decent if not entirely original fantasy story in there, but the writing just isn't up to par. Both the dialogues and narrative often feel wooden and artificial. Past the initial introduction (which is actually okay), characters reveal themselves to be flat and not even self-coherent. Major plot points are swept under the rug in order to advance a story whose degree of sophistication did not really require it. Last nail in the coffin, the editing was also underwhelming: nevermind the major rewrite that should have gone into this, even mundane details like repeated or lacking words are not uncommon.
Can't really recommend this book when there is much better stuff to read out there, sorry.
April 16, 2017
Riveting read! Thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a step away from from my normal reading genre, this book gripped my interest early and managed to hang on to it right to the very end... Leaving me wishing the author had the next instalment ready to go. Frustrating at times when the story takes unexpected turns, it kept the story interesting and was good to have an underlying feeling of unpredictabilty even though we might like things to be predictable sometimes! I really enjoyed the array of characters and found myself really rooting for them, although I'm still not convinced I like the main character, but I think that is the point! Hoping for exciting things in the next book. Bring it on!
May 31, 2020
Solid, easy to read and brutal.
Kalinfar is the standout character.
Kalinfar is the standout character.
March 27, 2021
Awesomely great debut novel, have already purchased sequel.
If you like full on Battle scenes, fucked up gods, grotesque monsters then this is a book for you
If you like full on Battle scenes, fucked up gods, grotesque monsters then this is a book for you
December 7, 2020
This was a book I won a copy of in a twitter competition (along with its sequel). The book opens with a bang with an attempted assassination attempt on the lead character (Kalfinar) at a remote outpost so he and his cousin travel towards the capital to bring word of this threat (and encounter similar stories of more successful attempts on the way). Ultimately they are sent on a quest to help bring a goddess back into the world.
There are some definite moments of absolute quality in here (the final battle scene is exceptionally well written) but there are also some serious issues with the writing on the way to this, Murray's prose is definitely a bit rough around the edges - especially in the first half of the book. Some of the dialogue feels very forced and the actions and reactions of characters can feel a bit odd at times. The main issue I have is with some of the confused plotting and mythology built into his world. The quest that Kalfinar gets sent on feels convoluted and contrived, with the mythology confusing. This element in particular suffers with issues around pacing. This is a long book that would probably have benefitted from having a significant proportion of that quest section cut out. We are given glimpses of an intriguing world, but the world is rushed through to fast to really give it time to breath.
Murray writes excellent fight sequences and these are worth reading the novel for, but the book is in need of some strong editing and plotting is somewhat uneven. An interesting read
There are some definite moments of absolute quality in here (the final battle scene is exceptionally well written) but there are also some serious issues with the writing on the way to this, Murray's prose is definitely a bit rough around the edges - especially in the first half of the book. Some of the dialogue feels very forced and the actions and reactions of characters can feel a bit odd at times. The main issue I have is with some of the confused plotting and mythology built into his world. The quest that Kalfinar gets sent on feels convoluted and contrived, with the mythology confusing. This element in particular suffers with issues around pacing. This is a long book that would probably have benefitted from having a significant proportion of that quest section cut out. We are given glimpses of an intriguing world, but the world is rushed through to fast to really give it time to breath.
Murray writes excellent fight sequences and these are worth reading the novel for, but the book is in need of some strong editing and plotting is somewhat uneven. An interesting read
April 14, 2017
I found this book to be a pleasant surprise, with an enjoyable, constantly moving story and some great characters. It does what it says on the tin, in that it follows many of the same models of fantasy that have come and gone in the past, however, the story isn't reliant solely on these, and instead seems to revel in the characters relationships. I enjoyed the battle scenes and the split point of view, however, a few of the characters don't quite deliver as much as they promise as the story goes on. Good job there is a second book supposedly on the way, because the ending left me a little frustrated, but I'm sucker for a cliff-edge!
April 27, 2017
Not the best.
The book itself had pretty dreadful dialogue coming across as stunted The world building and early action has no substance whatsoever and slowly but surely becomes extraordinary but not in a good way. The story as a whole had potential, but required far more depth with a less generic slower evolution.
The way characters are built is so vital, especially if the author wants you to care, which to me is vital to love a book. Unfortunately in this instance numerous character's have no evolution then become pivotal for a couple of chapters, with ruins any attempt at a seamless flow to the book.
The book itself had pretty dreadful dialogue coming across as stunted The world building and early action has no substance whatsoever and slowly but surely becomes extraordinary but not in a good way. The story as a whole had potential, but required far more depth with a less generic slower evolution.
The way characters are built is so vital, especially if the author wants you to care, which to me is vital to love a book. Unfortunately in this instance numerous character's have no evolution then become pivotal for a couple of chapters, with ruins any attempt at a seamless flow to the book.
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