What do you think?
Rate this book
A Bitter Brew
It's not easy as one of the afflicted. You can never hold any sort of station, enter a council chamber or the capitol, or use your spells to earn any sort of income. And of course nearly everyone will shun you when they spot your markings. For Hendrick though, it's worse. Born a prince, he can never inherit the throne or return to his childhood home. He cannot live with his family.
But Hendrick has overcome these troubles. He has a trade as a brewer. Grudging acceptance and even friends in his home town. He has a good life for one of the afflicted.
Until the day the mercenaries show up at his door with a Royal warrant for his execution.
That leads to a desperate journey to find out why his own father wants him dead. A journey to a city he's not allowed to enter, to see his mother who abandoned him as a child when he became afflicted, in the hope that she will persuade his father – a man he's seen only half a dozen times in his life – to rescind the warrant.
But as he travels little does he know that his journey will lead him directly into a war between the afflicted and the normals. Reveal the true history of magic in Styrion. And ultimately lead to a showdown with an enemy bent on the complete destruction of the realm. An enemy that only magic can battle and which according to legend, none can defeat.
But Hendrick has overcome these troubles. He has a trade as a brewer. Grudging acceptance and even friends in his home town. He has a good life for one of the afflicted.
Until the day the mercenaries show up at his door with a Royal warrant for his execution.
That leads to a desperate journey to find out why his own father wants him dead. A journey to a city he's not allowed to enter, to see his mother who abandoned him as a child when he became afflicted, in the hope that she will persuade his father – a man he's seen only half a dozen times in his life – to rescind the warrant.
But as he travels little does he know that his journey will lead him directly into a war between the afflicted and the normals. Reveal the true history of magic in Styrion. And ultimately lead to a showdown with an enemy bent on the complete destruction of the realm. An enemy that only magic can battle and which according to legend, none can defeat.
529 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 3, 2017
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 21, 2018
Let me qualify this by saying I am not a beer drinker, so I don’t have loyalty one way or the other. While I did live in St. Louis for a year, I was a kid and have no allegiance to the city. Some of the other reviews I’ve read claim bias by the author and I can’t speak to that. All I can say is that the premise of this book pulled me in. It was billed as a “riveting, often scandalous saga of the rise and fall of the dysfunctional Busch family—an epic tale of prosperity, profligacy, hubris, and the dark consequences of success that spans three centuries, from the open salvos of the Civil War to the present day.” You get no less than what was promised!
The reign of the Anheuser-Busch brewery began with the founder August Busch, which passed to his son, Gussie, then to Gussie’s son, August III, and finally to August IV. Who promptly lost control of the company in a hostile takeover. The takeover was actually due in no small part to his inability to run a company of any size, let alone one the size of Anheuser-Busch.
This book was fascinating! The history of the company was presented in a clear and concise manner that was interesting reading and kept me turning the page to see what would happen next. The first three generations to run the company were businessmen who were obsessed with their firm, and did what it took to ensure they left a legacy for the next generation. Along the way the family was certainly dysfunctional, but by the time IV took over, it was inevitable that the self-indulgent playboy would lose the company or drive it into the ground. Knoedelseder presents the business side of the story in a manner that is not dry and boring.
As for the family side of the story, I knew they were wealthy, but I don’t think I quite knew the extent of their wealth. Or how much money they spent on foolish indulgences. The only saving grace is that they did actually contribute to charities. The family tale is a sordid one, with one scandal after another, including the deaths of two women associated with August IV. It appears he still has not grown up. In June of 2017, he was arrested for DUI. He happened to be trying to drive his helicopter. No charges were filed.
I thought this was a quite interesting read. The only thing that I would have liked to have learned about was how the demise of Anheuser-Busch affected St. Louis, and how August III didn’t do something to stop the takeover.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com
The reign of the Anheuser-Busch brewery began with the founder August Busch, which passed to his son, Gussie, then to Gussie’s son, August III, and finally to August IV. Who promptly lost control of the company in a hostile takeover. The takeover was actually due in no small part to his inability to run a company of any size, let alone one the size of Anheuser-Busch.
This book was fascinating! The history of the company was presented in a clear and concise manner that was interesting reading and kept me turning the page to see what would happen next. The first three generations to run the company were businessmen who were obsessed with their firm, and did what it took to ensure they left a legacy for the next generation. Along the way the family was certainly dysfunctional, but by the time IV took over, it was inevitable that the self-indulgent playboy would lose the company or drive it into the ground. Knoedelseder presents the business side of the story in a manner that is not dry and boring.
As for the family side of the story, I knew they were wealthy, but I don’t think I quite knew the extent of their wealth. Or how much money they spent on foolish indulgences. The only saving grace is that they did actually contribute to charities. The family tale is a sordid one, with one scandal after another, including the deaths of two women associated with August IV. It appears he still has not grown up. In June of 2017, he was arrested for DUI. He happened to be trying to drive his helicopter. No charges were filed.
I thought this was a quite interesting read. The only thing that I would have liked to have learned about was how the demise of Anheuser-Busch affected St. Louis, and how August III didn’t do something to stop the takeover.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com
August 20, 2017
Epic story
This is a long book. It made life difficult in that I just didn't want to set it down. As always Greg Curtis shows himself to be one of the top fantasy authors of today. I have yet to read one of his books that I didn't enjoy immensely. This one is no different.
I'm not sure whether this was a mystery, a fantasy, an adventure, maybe we should just call it some of all of that. Whatever you want to call it you'll have trouble setting it down once you start reading it.
This is a long book. It made life difficult in that I just didn't want to set it down. As always Greg Curtis shows himself to be one of the top fantasy authors of today. I have yet to read one of his books that I didn't enjoy immensely. This one is no different.
I'm not sure whether this was a mystery, a fantasy, an adventure, maybe we should just call it some of all of that. Whatever you want to call it you'll have trouble setting it down once you start reading it.
September 12, 2017
Violent epic
Selfishness and lust the roots of all evil? Contagious by touch magic. Some funny but true digs at old men with young trophy wives, and one who is most guilty is 80 year old king. Like a president whose third wife half his age. Cold but brilliant mother of hero Prince saves the day. Heroine really can't stand the hero. Original twists make worth reading but not buying
Selfishness and lust the roots of all evil? Contagious by touch magic. Some funny but true digs at old men with young trophy wives, and one who is most guilty is 80 year old king. Like a president whose third wife half his age. Cold but brilliant mother of hero Prince saves the day. Heroine really can't stand the hero. Original twists make worth reading but not buying
August 20, 2017
OmG Good
This is a story of a place where magic is an affliction and people who have it are marked and shunned. The MC is one such person but is also a prince of the realm, and all he wants to do is brew some beer and live a life of simplicity. Of course he doesn't get that, and have to keep saving everyone... Who never say thank you. That's just how the rich nobles roll.
This is a story of a place where magic is an affliction and people who have it are marked and shunned. The MC is one such person but is also a prince of the realm, and all he wants to do is brew some beer and live a life of simplicity. Of course he doesn't get that, and have to keep saving everyone... Who never say thank you. That's just how the rich nobles roll.
July 29, 2024
wow many twists
As is usual with Greg Curtis you get twist and turns and unexpected plots and characters to make an interesting read. This matches his many other books as a good enjoyable reading time. I will definitely keep reading his books working my way through what I find interesting because so far all I have read have been worth the cost in price and time.
As is usual with Greg Curtis you get twist and turns and unexpected plots and characters to make an interesting read. This matches his many other books as a good enjoyable reading time. I will definitely keep reading his books working my way through what I find interesting because so far all I have read have been worth the cost in price and time.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews