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Wise Phuul
Walking corpses and black-market the quiet life. Telto Phuul, Necromancer and Library Clerk, likes his days safe and predictable. Not for him the intrigues of the Viiminian Empire, a gothic monstrosity held together by sheer force of will. Until the Empire's dreaded secret police come knocking. Caught in a web of schemes in the diseased heart of Kuolinako, the underground Imperial capital, Telto can trust no-one. Not the Northern theocrats who abhor Necromancy, and certainly not the Grand Chancellor, whose iron-fisted rule has kept the old order alive that little bit longer. When one false step means torture and disappearance, this journey will change our Necromancer forever. ---------- Family, friendship, and social class lie at the heart of powerful storytelling. Stride delves deep into the hearts and minds of his characters, revealing moral fortitudes that are perfectly balanced with personality flaws and desire for self-preservation. Engaging, subtle and provocative, this is fantasy steampunk that deserves to be read again and again. Wise Phuul is the story of one man’s journey to save himself, his friends, and (by coincidence only), his society.
456 pages, Paperback
Published November 23, 2016
2 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Stride
12 books8 followersDaniel Stride (also known as Dan) is a long-time fantasy reader and all-round geek, having fallen in love with The Lord of the Rings aged nine (he still thinks The Silmarillion is the best book ever written).
He spent far too long at University, where he accumulated multiple degrees in-between lobbying politicians and fighting for doomed causes. But he wasn’t really a career student – honest – he even had a respectable nine years working for the local newspaper. And now he’s pursuing a legal career…
Apart from reading, writing, and teaching himself foreign languages, he’s a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, with a taste for reconstructing medieval skaldic verse. His only true weakness is chocolate. And cats. But not chocolate cats, because the fur would get all sticky.
Dan lives in Dunedin, New Zealand. He is currently working on a sequel to his novel Wise Phuul.
He spent far too long at University, where he accumulated multiple degrees in-between lobbying politicians and fighting for doomed causes. But he wasn’t really a career student – honest – he even had a respectable nine years working for the local newspaper. And now he’s pursuing a legal career…
Apart from reading, writing, and teaching himself foreign languages, he’s a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, with a taste for reconstructing medieval skaldic verse. His only true weakness is chocolate. And cats. But not chocolate cats, because the fur would get all sticky.
Dan lives in Dunedin, New Zealand. He is currently working on a sequel to his novel Wise Phuul.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 29, 2024
Necromancy and black-market liquor: this fantasy debut seemed right up my street.
Somehow, despite all I’d hoped for, the story didn’t quite reach the expectations I had of it. It was a fun read, I cannot deny that, and yet I was left wanting something a bit more than I was given. A part of me believes this is my own fault, though. I always have extremely high expectations of fantasy novels, especially with the start of a series that has such promise, and yet more often than not I’m not as in love with the first book as I would like to be. Obviously there are exceptions to this rule, but mostly I feel a general feeling of ‘okay’ with the first book in such series. As is the case with this one, though, it is enough to leave me interested in reading more.
Mostly, I feel towards this one the way I felt towards The Blade Itself. The first book in Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy left me with a general feeling of ‘meh’. I loved the world, I was interested in the characters, and yet the story didn’t quite give me all that I had wanted of it. However, I went on to really enjoy the series. Such is how I feel towards this book, and how I imagine I will feel towards any future Phuul books.
At first, I found the story a little bit difficult to get into. With fantasy novels, I like to know the world we’re thrown into before the story gets going. That is not to say I want it all set out at the start without any development throughout, but I do like some knowledge before the story gets going. With this one, the story is moving from the very start. Building an image of the world took a bit of time, and I felt as though events were progressing at a real rate before I truly understood the world. For me, personally, I would have liked to know a little bit more about the world before the story really started to move.
When the world finally came together in my mind, however, I really enjoyed it. The world is really complex, and there is a lot of fun to be had. It has the feel of many fantasy novels that you see on the market – the whole north-south divide – with plenty enough to make it unique. Honestly, it’s such a refreshing world. Enter expecting more than the classic dragons and sword fighting, as this one gives us something else entirely. We have a magical system that’s entirely unique; we have religions that make for a lot of fun; we have political movements that will leave you questioning everyone and everything. Overall, there is so much fun to be had.
My favourite aspect, however, has to be our main character. He was so refreshing. I loved watching Teltö Phuul navigate the world. He felt like so few main characters that we see today, giving us a real breath of fresh air. His actions and reactions, his views of the world, even his likes and dislikes worked to make him a very real character, one you will quickly grow to enjoy.
Overall, I did have fun with this one. The three star rating reflects how I wasn’t pulled in as much as I had hoped to be. It was one of those stories that whenever I put it down I would find it difficult to get back into the story. When I was able to sit and read a good chunk at once I had a lot of fun, it was just the getting into it that I found hard. Now that I’ve been pulled into the world, now that I have an understanding of characters and events, I feel as though I will quickly be pulled into future books. Without a doubt, I’m interested to see where this series will head.
As a final note, I would like to thank the publisher for contacting me regarding a review. I had fun with this one, and I’m excited to see where things go from here!
Somehow, despite all I’d hoped for, the story didn’t quite reach the expectations I had of it. It was a fun read, I cannot deny that, and yet I was left wanting something a bit more than I was given. A part of me believes this is my own fault, though. I always have extremely high expectations of fantasy novels, especially with the start of a series that has such promise, and yet more often than not I’m not as in love with the first book as I would like to be. Obviously there are exceptions to this rule, but mostly I feel a general feeling of ‘okay’ with the first book in such series. As is the case with this one, though, it is enough to leave me interested in reading more.
Mostly, I feel towards this one the way I felt towards The Blade Itself. The first book in Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy left me with a general feeling of ‘meh’. I loved the world, I was interested in the characters, and yet the story didn’t quite give me all that I had wanted of it. However, I went on to really enjoy the series. Such is how I feel towards this book, and how I imagine I will feel towards any future Phuul books.
At first, I found the story a little bit difficult to get into. With fantasy novels, I like to know the world we’re thrown into before the story gets going. That is not to say I want it all set out at the start without any development throughout, but I do like some knowledge before the story gets going. With this one, the story is moving from the very start. Building an image of the world took a bit of time, and I felt as though events were progressing at a real rate before I truly understood the world. For me, personally, I would have liked to know a little bit more about the world before the story really started to move.
When the world finally came together in my mind, however, I really enjoyed it. The world is really complex, and there is a lot of fun to be had. It has the feel of many fantasy novels that you see on the market – the whole north-south divide – with plenty enough to make it unique. Honestly, it’s such a refreshing world. Enter expecting more than the classic dragons and sword fighting, as this one gives us something else entirely. We have a magical system that’s entirely unique; we have religions that make for a lot of fun; we have political movements that will leave you questioning everyone and everything. Overall, there is so much fun to be had.
My favourite aspect, however, has to be our main character. He was so refreshing. I loved watching Teltö Phuul navigate the world. He felt like so few main characters that we see today, giving us a real breath of fresh air. His actions and reactions, his views of the world, even his likes and dislikes worked to make him a very real character, one you will quickly grow to enjoy.
Overall, I did have fun with this one. The three star rating reflects how I wasn’t pulled in as much as I had hoped to be. It was one of those stories that whenever I put it down I would find it difficult to get back into the story. When I was able to sit and read a good chunk at once I had a lot of fun, it was just the getting into it that I found hard. Now that I’ve been pulled into the world, now that I have an understanding of characters and events, I feel as though I will quickly be pulled into future books. Without a doubt, I’m interested to see where this series will head.
As a final note, I would like to thank the publisher for contacting me regarding a review. I had fun with this one, and I’m excited to see where things go from here!
September 3, 2022
A fun story that throws the reader right into the midst of things, with no introduction, info-dumps, or hand-holding offered. It gets right to the story, and lets the characters lead us on our way.
Magic, faith, and politics all play a part in a book that's far more complex than I expected. This is one of those books I wish I could have read in paperback, with the glossary of names and places a bit more readily accessible. The story itself is a bit different from the usual epic fantasy narrative, with Phuul providing an intimate view of a conflict he's neither destined nor equipped to shape.
I liked the characters here, the word-building, and (perhaps most importantly) the necromantic aspects. Not just window dressing, the dead are an integral part of the world and its story. It's a gritty world and a gritty story, with some genuine drama and tension, but there's also ample humor to keep it from getting too bogged down in gloom.
Magic, faith, and politics all play a part in a book that's far more complex than I expected. This is one of those books I wish I could have read in paperback, with the glossary of names and places a bit more readily accessible. The story itself is a bit different from the usual epic fantasy narrative, with Phuul providing an intimate view of a conflict he's neither destined nor equipped to shape.
I liked the characters here, the word-building, and (perhaps most importantly) the necromantic aspects. Not just window dressing, the dead are an integral part of the world and its story. It's a gritty world and a gritty story, with some genuine drama and tension, but there's also ample humor to keep it from getting too bogged down in gloom.
September 21, 2019
Dark, twisted and complex!!!
The originalty of Wise Phuul makes it hard to describe. Telto Phuul the protagonist is akin to the classic TV antihero Blackadder - he's an a-hole, selfish and cunning, yet all he really wants is to survive his utter hell of misfortune and war.
Imagine "Blackadder goes forth" meets a kind of Rasputin Diesel Punk Grimdark fantasy with a large dollop of political intrigue.
The wit and utterly unique world building makes this novel. Everything feels incredibly real, it's a grimdark world that fascinates and repels in equal measure as Telto's self-centred life falls apart.
The originalty of Wise Phuul makes it hard to describe. Telto Phuul the protagonist is akin to the classic TV antihero Blackadder - he's an a-hole, selfish and cunning, yet all he really wants is to survive his utter hell of misfortune and war.
Imagine "Blackadder goes forth" meets a kind of Rasputin Diesel Punk Grimdark fantasy with a large dollop of political intrigue.
The wit and utterly unique world building makes this novel. Everything feels incredibly real, it's a grimdark world that fascinates and repels in equal measure as Telto's self-centred life falls apart.
November 26, 2016
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
I have said several times before, one of the most difficult parts of writing a book is world building. The art of creating a complete world that is both believable and fantastical at the same time takes patience and dedication. Daniel Stride created just such a world in his debut novel Wise Phuul.
The main character, Telto, is placed in an almost impossible situation and face one trial after another. There were times when I had to take a break from reading this because of the intense drama. However, this intense drama moved the plot forward and never left the reader bored. The characters work together to enhance the story and serve to add icing on Stride's cake.
If I had any issue with this book, it deals with this incredible world Stride created. Sometimes, I had to look back to review characters, locations, and inventions to remind myself. Also since I read an ebook version, I was not aware of the list of characters listed in the back. I know this is not proper formatting, but it would have been nice to have a list of characters in the beginning. However once I realized it was there, it helped a lot.
I have said several times before, one of the most difficult parts of writing a book is world building. The art of creating a complete world that is both believable and fantastical at the same time takes patience and dedication. Daniel Stride created just such a world in his debut novel Wise Phuul.
The main character, Telto, is placed in an almost impossible situation and face one trial after another. There were times when I had to take a break from reading this because of the intense drama. However, this intense drama moved the plot forward and never left the reader bored. The characters work together to enhance the story and serve to add icing on Stride's cake.
If I had any issue with this book, it deals with this incredible world Stride created. Sometimes, I had to look back to review characters, locations, and inventions to remind myself. Also since I read an ebook version, I was not aware of the list of characters listed in the back. I know this is not proper formatting, but it would have been nice to have a list of characters in the beginning. However once I realized it was there, it helped a lot.
February 6, 2017
One thing is for certain, Daniel Stride's Wise Phuul must never be allowed to fall into the DWP's hands, just in case this government department's inquisitors get some disturbing ideas. The regime is bad enough as it is, without ministers and minions looking to turn claimants into undead -- and hence unpaid -- slave labour. Necromancy is fiction, thankfully, but can we be so sure that post-truth politicians can really grasp that simple truth? It's hard to say.
As for myself, I say hats off to Stride for coming up with that one: in the ancient, gloomy Viiminian Empire, it's the dead that do the work. No special skill, no necromantic abilities, and you face life under the constant threat of the Death Draft -- killed, reanimimated and put to work. No troublesome unions, no need for pay and conditions, no backchat, and the undead make such effectively tiresome bureaucrats; you can see why the DWP might just fall for the dead...
But that's enough of that. Wise Phuul is macabre and delightfully dark.
As for myself, I say hats off to Stride for coming up with that one: in the ancient, gloomy Viiminian Empire, it's the dead that do the work. No special skill, no necromantic abilities, and you face life under the constant threat of the Death Draft -- killed, reanimimated and put to work. No troublesome unions, no need for pay and conditions, no backchat, and the undead make such effectively tiresome bureaucrats; you can see why the DWP might just fall for the dead...
But that's enough of that. Wise Phuul is macabre and delightfully dark.
November 23, 2016
Plotwise, Wise Phuul was slow to get started, with a lot of time spent setting up the world and various conflicts within it, and not a whole lot that the protagonist could do about any of them.
However, the story made up for this with its characters, which were a rich view of the people within a war. Phuul doesn't see war on a grand "us vs them" scale, rather he experiences it firsthand, and sees the people on either side as people first and foremost. It makes for an interesting story, if a rather frustrating one at times simply because the amount of characters makes it difficult to experience any in particular for long.
Overall I enjoyed the story, though I did find the end slightly underwhelming.
However, the story made up for this with its characters, which were a rich view of the people within a war. Phuul doesn't see war on a grand "us vs them" scale, rather he experiences it firsthand, and sees the people on either side as people first and foremost. It makes for an interesting story, if a rather frustrating one at times simply because the amount of characters makes it difficult to experience any in particular for long.
Overall I enjoyed the story, though I did find the end slightly underwhelming.
July 16, 2019
The pace of Daniel Stride's epic fantasy tale of Teltö Phuul and his involvement in the political machinations between two great nations grows in intensity as the heroes story progresses. As a reader, I found that my fascination with Teltö's adventures grew in tandem with the pace of the story.
Daniel has crafted a complex fantasy world as the setting for a story that is richly told and over-flowing with adventures, plot-twists, action, sex, humour, war, air-ships, naval battles, re-animated dead, and much more.
His foreshadowed sequel will be much-anticipated.
Daniel has crafted a complex fantasy world as the setting for a story that is richly told and over-flowing with adventures, plot-twists, action, sex, humour, war, air-ships, naval battles, re-animated dead, and much more.
His foreshadowed sequel will be much-anticipated.
March 1, 2020
An enjoyable and imaginative novel, ignoring most of the usual fantasy tropes. Later on, its battle scenes evoke the trenches of WW1 rather than the usual 'glorious' fantasy battles.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews