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Making Peace
Explosions, swordfights, psychology, and humor combine in this unique sci-fi/fantasy blend!
Interstellar romance author Belkan Candor has had a string of bestsellers, and his latest hit, My Mech, My Love , is flying off store shelves. When he takes a job as an embedded journalist with a peacekeeping organization, he expects a plush assignment with a big payout. What he gets is an exposé into human trauma and psychological pain, and a twisted conspiracy on an entire planet looking to stay off the grid.
Swords are swinging and magic is flinging, and Belkan is right in the center of it. Assassins, serial killers, prostitutes, and obsessed romance novel fans collide in a web of intrigue and violence which threatens to tear his world apart.
Will he survive, or will this novel be the death of him?
Praise for Making
“Brilliantly conceived. Deftly executed. This smacked me hard from the start and made me think we’ve just found a Futuristic version of the classic Thieves’ World series. This is a new writer to watch with a breakout hit in the making.” - Nick Cole, bestselling author of Soda Pop Soldier and the Galaxy’s Edge series.
"Clever, inventive sci-fantasy. An astounding debut that hooked me from the first few pages.” - Daniel Humphreys, author of A Place Outside The Wild, and Fade.
"A high-action, thrilling tale.” - Jon Del Arroz, award-nominated author of For Steam And Country.
"A worthy debut novel with a captivating voice. Adam Smith seamlessly blends genres like he's been doing it forever." - Rhett C Bruno, bestselling author of the Circuit Trilogy.
Interstellar romance author Belkan Candor has had a string of bestsellers, and his latest hit, My Mech, My Love , is flying off store shelves. When he takes a job as an embedded journalist with a peacekeeping organization, he expects a plush assignment with a big payout. What he gets is an exposé into human trauma and psychological pain, and a twisted conspiracy on an entire planet looking to stay off the grid.
Swords are swinging and magic is flinging, and Belkan is right in the center of it. Assassins, serial killers, prostitutes, and obsessed romance novel fans collide in a web of intrigue and violence which threatens to tear his world apart.
Will he survive, or will this novel be the death of him?
Praise for Making
“Brilliantly conceived. Deftly executed. This smacked me hard from the start and made me think we’ve just found a Futuristic version of the classic Thieves’ World series. This is a new writer to watch with a breakout hit in the making.” - Nick Cole, bestselling author of Soda Pop Soldier and the Galaxy’s Edge series.
"Clever, inventive sci-fantasy. An astounding debut that hooked me from the first few pages.” - Daniel Humphreys, author of A Place Outside The Wild, and Fade.
"A high-action, thrilling tale.” - Jon Del Arroz, award-nominated author of For Steam And Country.
"A worthy debut novel with a captivating voice. Adam Smith seamlessly blends genres like he's been doing it forever." - Rhett C Bruno, bestselling author of the Circuit Trilogy.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2018
10 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 22, 2018
Excellent first novel with lots of heart.
I received an ARC for review, but also purchased a copy of the book. This book was definitely a shocker. It was slow starting for me, but once it got rolling it is a very fun and enjoyable read. The journey that the MC goes through is realistic and gritty. The other characters go through journeys of their own dealing with life and trauma. Overall an excellent first novel with lots of heart. It is well worth your time picking it up.
I received an ARC for review, but also purchased a copy of the book. This book was definitely a shocker. It was slow starting for me, but once it got rolling it is a very fun and enjoyable read. The journey that the MC goes through is realistic and gritty. The other characters go through journeys of their own dealing with life and trauma. Overall an excellent first novel with lots of heart. It is well worth your time picking it up.
January 22, 2018
I enjoyed the unique premise of an author/journalist joining a group of soldiers and embarking on dangerous involving sword battles and magic in a science-fiction fantasy hybrid.
Adam is one author to watch!
Adam is one author to watch!
January 30, 2018
“‘Actually,’ another twitch at his deep voice, and a slight hunching of her shoulders, ‘we are here to take you into custody, under authority of the Keepers.’
The room was silent. I wondered who would claim ownership of my estate in the event of my untimely death.’”
It took me a little while to get into it, but Making Peace sneaks up on you. Smith has crafted a fine debut. The steady stream of action is complemented by a lot of heart.
Belkan Candor is a bestselling romance author with a mountain of debts. His editor has a potential solution. A mystery patron wants a very different sort of book written. Which is how Belkan finds himself on Sivern.
The planet has forbidden all electronic technology. Doing so keeps the local galactic empire off their backs since they could never mount an effective rebellion armed with ceramic swords (magic ceramnic, but still). Which is kind of a weak rationale, but I’m not going to ask too many questions about my quasi-fantasy planet. Similarly with nano-mages whose “magic” is given a hand-wavy science-y sounding explanation.
Belkan is embedded with a cell of Keepers. The six Keepers in the first cell keep the peace between the top four Houses in Tiers, working to prevent another house war. But members of Second House are being attacked by hired thugs on the streets, and then the murders at First House start…
You can see the basic setup. It starts a little slow, but Making Peace really picks up steam as it goes. The fights get bloodier and more frequent, the mystery deepens, and Belkan starts to uncover all the pain each Keeper is carrying around with him or her. Each of the three is a strength of the book. For a pulpy adventure book, Making Peace is deep.
“‘Truth is, Bel,’ Ugly started up again as our boots splashed through rain puddles, ‘men don’t deserve good women. Soft, hard, friendly, brutal, none of us deserve good women. Either we’re too weak to do them any good, or we’ve done terrible things to become as hardened as they need us to be. The thing about good women, though, is by their very nature they push us to be more than we’ve settled for. They make us want to find gentler solutions. They remind us humanity has value beyond being a resource to be spent or a vulnerability to exploit. They make us want to be better men. A good woman encourages men to strive harder every day.’”
I do have a few quibbles. I can’t pin down exactly why it took me so long to get into Making Peace. Short chapters usually help move a story along, but earlier in the book I took the chapter breaks as an excuse to put it down (reading several other books at the same time didn’t help). Smith’s prose is fine, but he could perhaps use a little more of that special something that forces the reader to say, “One. More. Chapter.” over and over (and it’s more than just a cliffhanger).
Smith fleshes out the characters as the story progresses, and that’s one of the most satisfying elements of the book, but the characterization is hard won. Good on the back-end, but I would have gotten into the book faster, I think, if the characters jumped out at me early. My first couple quibbles are matters of craft, and pretty light for a debut author. My second two quibbles are with story choices.
I have Making Peace labeled as sword and planet, but it could have just as easily been a second-world fantasy. Nothing says you have to, but if you’re going to use a sword and planet setting, why not have a little fun with it and slip in some real science fiction elements? Both genetic modifications and non-human races are allowed on Sivern, but neither plays a significant role in the story (not counting the nano-mages) Finally, while I appreciate that the Keepers are willing to (and recognize the need to) cut a deal to keep the peace, it leads to a climax that is at least partially unsatisfying.
But these really are quibbles. This is a very good book.
Disclosure: Smith sent me an advance, review copy of Making Peace.
The room was silent. I wondered who would claim ownership of my estate in the event of my untimely death.’”
It took me a little while to get into it, but Making Peace sneaks up on you. Smith has crafted a fine debut. The steady stream of action is complemented by a lot of heart.
Belkan Candor is a bestselling romance author with a mountain of debts. His editor has a potential solution. A mystery patron wants a very different sort of book written. Which is how Belkan finds himself on Sivern.
The planet has forbidden all electronic technology. Doing so keeps the local galactic empire off their backs since they could never mount an effective rebellion armed with ceramic swords (magic ceramnic, but still). Which is kind of a weak rationale, but I’m not going to ask too many questions about my quasi-fantasy planet. Similarly with nano-mages whose “magic” is given a hand-wavy science-y sounding explanation.
Belkan is embedded with a cell of Keepers. The six Keepers in the first cell keep the peace between the top four Houses in Tiers, working to prevent another house war. But members of Second House are being attacked by hired thugs on the streets, and then the murders at First House start…
You can see the basic setup. It starts a little slow, but Making Peace really picks up steam as it goes. The fights get bloodier and more frequent, the mystery deepens, and Belkan starts to uncover all the pain each Keeper is carrying around with him or her. Each of the three is a strength of the book. For a pulpy adventure book, Making Peace is deep.
“‘Truth is, Bel,’ Ugly started up again as our boots splashed through rain puddles, ‘men don’t deserve good women. Soft, hard, friendly, brutal, none of us deserve good women. Either we’re too weak to do them any good, or we’ve done terrible things to become as hardened as they need us to be. The thing about good women, though, is by their very nature they push us to be more than we’ve settled for. They make us want to find gentler solutions. They remind us humanity has value beyond being a resource to be spent or a vulnerability to exploit. They make us want to be better men. A good woman encourages men to strive harder every day.’”
I do have a few quibbles. I can’t pin down exactly why it took me so long to get into Making Peace. Short chapters usually help move a story along, but earlier in the book I took the chapter breaks as an excuse to put it down (reading several other books at the same time didn’t help). Smith’s prose is fine, but he could perhaps use a little more of that special something that forces the reader to say, “One. More. Chapter.” over and over (and it’s more than just a cliffhanger).
Smith fleshes out the characters as the story progresses, and that’s one of the most satisfying elements of the book, but the characterization is hard won. Good on the back-end, but I would have gotten into the book faster, I think, if the characters jumped out at me early. My first couple quibbles are matters of craft, and pretty light for a debut author. My second two quibbles are with story choices.
I have Making Peace labeled as sword and planet, but it could have just as easily been a second-world fantasy. Nothing says you have to, but if you’re going to use a sword and planet setting, why not have a little fun with it and slip in some real science fiction elements? Both genetic modifications and non-human races are allowed on Sivern, but neither plays a significant role in the story (not counting the nano-mages) Finally, while I appreciate that the Keepers are willing to (and recognize the need to) cut a deal to keep the peace, it leads to a climax that is at least partially unsatisfying.
But these really are quibbles. This is a very good book.
Disclosure: Smith sent me an advance, review copy of Making Peace.
January 21, 2018
I received a free advance copy of this book from the author, but immediately bought it as a gift for a friend, because I really liked it.
War is Hell. That is how I think this story is best summed up. But not quite, as it is much rather a story about going Through hell, rather then wallowing in it. I found this book very engaging and it challenged me to think from a different perspective about violence, companionship, manhood and prejudice. It is not a lofty think-piece or a preachy monologue however, not the least. The characters and the setting feel real and alive and I quickly grew attached to them. The strength of this book lies in seeing the characters grow and earn (and own) their ending.
I highly recommend this book even if (or especially if) it is not the kind of story you usually read.
Disclaimer: There are several violent and gory scenes, thought I personally think they are handled respectfully and are not over-the-top, it might be too much for some people. Also know that the violence is never glorified or depicted as anything other than a horrible waste of life. Which is refreshing in the age of superheroes tossing skyscrapers about.
Critique: I think the book starts of a bit slow and the quality of the writing is certainly poorer in the first few chapters - this however only means that you might need to "stick it out" through the beginning as the book does pick up pace quickly and the writing also improves and becomes a lot more natural and free-flowing. Keep in mind, this is the first book of the author.
War is Hell. That is how I think this story is best summed up. But not quite, as it is much rather a story about going Through hell, rather then wallowing in it. I found this book very engaging and it challenged me to think from a different perspective about violence, companionship, manhood and prejudice. It is not a lofty think-piece or a preachy monologue however, not the least. The characters and the setting feel real and alive and I quickly grew attached to them. The strength of this book lies in seeing the characters grow and earn (and own) their ending.
I highly recommend this book even if (or especially if) it is not the kind of story you usually read.
Disclaimer: There are several violent and gory scenes, thought I personally think they are handled respectfully and are not over-the-top, it might be too much for some people. Also know that the violence is never glorified or depicted as anything other than a horrible waste of life. Which is refreshing in the age of superheroes tossing skyscrapers about.
Critique: I think the book starts of a bit slow and the quality of the writing is certainly poorer in the first few chapters - this however only means that you might need to "stick it out" through the beginning as the book does pick up pace quickly and the writing also improves and becomes a lot more natural and free-flowing. Keep in mind, this is the first book of the author.
January 21, 2018
Solid first effort
I received an advance copy of Making Peace from the author in exchange for an honest review. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a fan of the quick five to fifteen minute chapter breakdown that Adam utilizes. I found myself rooting for our protagonists, the Keepers, and caring about what happened to them. The action sequences are well written and not overly drawn out, but be advised some of the fighting is a bit gory (that's not a bad thing). The only negative I have is the frequent use of silences the characters encounter during conversions as it slows the pacing of the story down a bit. This was not enough to keep me from enjoying the story. A solid first effort from the author and I have no reservations in giving it four out of five stars. I liked it enough to purchase a copy even though I already had a free copy. I'll be looking for more of Adam's work in the future.
I received an advance copy of Making Peace from the author in exchange for an honest review. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a fan of the quick five to fifteen minute chapter breakdown that Adam utilizes. I found myself rooting for our protagonists, the Keepers, and caring about what happened to them. The action sequences are well written and not overly drawn out, but be advised some of the fighting is a bit gory (that's not a bad thing). The only negative I have is the frequent use of silences the characters encounter during conversions as it slows the pacing of the story down a bit. This was not enough to keep me from enjoying the story. A solid first effort from the author and I have no reservations in giving it four out of five stars. I liked it enough to purchase a copy even though I already had a free copy. I'll be looking for more of Adam's work in the future.
November 19, 2018
This reader couldn't help but fondly recall lyrics from the Dire Straits' song "Brothers in Arms" while thrilling to this dark fantasy breakout novel by Adam Lane Smith. Danger, deceit and dry humor highlight this evolutionary tale of a dandy novelist turned hardened combat veteran. Though its action scenes are breathtaking, its melee combat vivid, graphic and in-your-face, what really sets this novel apart are its main characters: fallen, flawed, failing at life. Each will come to rely on bonds with brothers and sisters forged in the heat of battle. Using them to transcend their pasts and their presents, making peace with the same fervor and ferocity with which they fight. Eminently relatable and inspiring in these trying times, reminding readers that indeed some things are worth fighting--and dying--for.
August 27, 2020
Excellent.
This is a solid read, a classic action packed fantasy in a world that hints at a lot of depth.
Good solid characters, with plenty of space to breathe and a likeable narrator with a nice character arc.
It's a slow start, but worth persevering because it gets better and better. I would have liked to get to know Belkan a bit more, maybe had a bit more development of his earlier character so that his arc showed more change. But it was a minor quibble in a solid page turner with a lot of deep insights into human nature.
This is a solid read, a classic action packed fantasy in a world that hints at a lot of depth.
Good solid characters, with plenty of space to breathe and a likeable narrator with a nice character arc.
It's a slow start, but worth persevering because it gets better and better. I would have liked to get to know Belkan a bit more, maybe had a bit more development of his earlier character so that his arc showed more change. But it was a minor quibble in a solid page turner with a lot of deep insights into human nature.
February 9, 2020
Great Action -Adventure
I really liked the rousing action in this gritty sci fi/fantasy story. Even better than the action, there is real emotional and philosophical depth to be found here. Highly recommended.
I really liked the rousing action in this gritty sci fi/fantasy story. Even better than the action, there is real emotional and philosophical depth to be found here. Highly recommended.
January 30, 2018
Amazing
Great story from a first time author. Thanks , Adam , for giving us " Making Peace ". Looking forward to more books from you .
Great story from a first time author. Thanks , Adam , for giving us " Making Peace ". Looking forward to more books from you .
June 15, 2018
A great story
I loved the way this was written, I like the style of writing and can't wait to read more from Adam
I loved the way this was written, I like the style of writing and can't wait to read more from Adam
November 19, 2018
Excellent character study in an unusual milieu
The author has created a fantasy world in the midst of a science fiction universe. Most of the central characters come from the tech worlds, so he is able to explore what it means to be dropped into an environment you have to learn everything. The characters are deep and well-drawn, and you find yourself caring about all of them. The plot is intricate without being hard to follow, which is a real accomplishment. Highly recommended!
The author has created a fantasy world in the midst of a science fiction universe. Most of the central characters come from the tech worlds, so he is able to explore what it means to be dropped into an environment you have to learn everything. The characters are deep and well-drawn, and you find yourself caring about all of them. The plot is intricate without being hard to follow, which is a real accomplishment. Highly recommended!
March 9, 2018
Don't let the self-publishing turn you off. This is an excellent, professionally edited novel. This does not read like "Author's First Book" even though this is Adam Smith's first novel. In a sea of mediocre self-publishing, Making Peace is a gem.
I've read a lot of books in my time and this book is both unique and familiar. Anyone that loves fantasy and action and doesn't mind a hint of the science fiction beyond, will like this book.
But there is a whole lot of depth beneath the fanciful exterior and fast moving plot. There is a well constructed world and story just waiting for your second read. There are small but clear reminders that the universe is concerned with keeping the peace on this planet. Each of the characters is a real person with memories and battle scars.
The narrator is a romance author turned embedded journalist. It’s very clear early on that he’s embellishing some of the details. He also thinks he’s funnier and more likable than he really is. The author makes sure to never take this too far. The worst it gets is the titles of the narrator’s previous books. “My Mech, My Love” was particularly groan worthy. Fortunately they only come up occasionally and never detract from the story. You don’t get whiplash from a pun happening where it shouldn’t.
The side characters all have their own reasons and motivations. In quiet moments, you see them breaking down and falling apart. Being a soldier in a fantasy world isn’t a pretty occupation. It can be an emotional read if you take the time to let it sink in.
If there is one flaw, it is that this book is easier to put down than I like. The end of each chapter is natural stopping point. The next chapter always picks up smoothly so it’s not choppy. All books have an ebb and flow to them. In my opinion, this one just ebbs a little too far at the end of a chapter.
The one flaw aside, Making Peace is truly a joy to read. It is two very different books. If you read it fast, it’s a fast paced action fantasy. If you read it slow, it’s an emotional tale of a group of soldiers just trying to hold things together. Whichever you prefer, you won’t be disappointed.
Go buy it. :)
Disclosure: I’m a friend of the author but I’m not pulling punches.
I've read a lot of books in my time and this book is both unique and familiar. Anyone that loves fantasy and action and doesn't mind a hint of the science fiction beyond, will like this book.
But there is a whole lot of depth beneath the fanciful exterior and fast moving plot. There is a well constructed world and story just waiting for your second read. There are small but clear reminders that the universe is concerned with keeping the peace on this planet. Each of the characters is a real person with memories and battle scars.
The narrator is a romance author turned embedded journalist. It’s very clear early on that he’s embellishing some of the details. He also thinks he’s funnier and more likable than he really is. The author makes sure to never take this too far. The worst it gets is the titles of the narrator’s previous books. “My Mech, My Love” was particularly groan worthy. Fortunately they only come up occasionally and never detract from the story. You don’t get whiplash from a pun happening where it shouldn’t.
The side characters all have their own reasons and motivations. In quiet moments, you see them breaking down and falling apart. Being a soldier in a fantasy world isn’t a pretty occupation. It can be an emotional read if you take the time to let it sink in.
If there is one flaw, it is that this book is easier to put down than I like. The end of each chapter is natural stopping point. The next chapter always picks up smoothly so it’s not choppy. All books have an ebb and flow to them. In my opinion, this one just ebbs a little too far at the end of a chapter.
The one flaw aside, Making Peace is truly a joy to read. It is two very different books. If you read it fast, it’s a fast paced action fantasy. If you read it slow, it’s an emotional tale of a group of soldiers just trying to hold things together. Whichever you prefer, you won’t be disappointed.
Go buy it. :)
Disclosure: I’m a friend of the author but I’m not pulling punches.
November 14, 2018
Making Peace is Adam Lane Smith’s debut novel and tells the tale of Belkan Candor, a romance author from the peaceful planet of Garden who finds himself in Tiers, the most dangerous city in the entire galaxy to do research for his next novel. It doesn’t take long for Belkan to realize how dangerous the place is.
The characters are very easy to relate to as you get to know each through their interactions with Belkan and each other, as well as their actions around the city of Tiers. There’s a surprising amount of depth and development to each of them I didn’t expect coming in, especially Belkan, as the revelations rolled in. I got attached to Belkan and each of the other main characters by the end of the story.
The setting of Tiers is immersive and there’s a lot to this no-tech city, with tons of world building with the world it’s on as well as other places in the galaxy that we don’t see in the story, but are mentioned and expanded through the narrative. It’s one of the first things I noticed while reading and grabbed me as a way to tide me over before the character development set in. The action scenes throughout are really well done, I could follow all of them along without much trouble. Though the description of the violence is on the highly graphic side of things, including lots of blood , so if that sort of thing bothers you, you might not enjoy this one. Though the story is a dark one, and can be bleak at times, the occasional humor and optimistic moments prevent it from being completely hopeless.
At the core of this story are basic questions about human life, convictions and the hardships of war and living in such a hardened city. This book got me thinking quite a bit about those things and more, without being preachy as some books could be. They all contributed to the narrative as well as each of the characters.
Overall, this is a great adult science fantasy novel, and if you can stomach the graphic violence, I highly recommend it.
The characters are very easy to relate to as you get to know each through their interactions with Belkan and each other, as well as their actions around the city of Tiers. There’s a surprising amount of depth and development to each of them I didn’t expect coming in, especially Belkan, as the revelations rolled in. I got attached to Belkan and each of the other main characters by the end of the story.
The setting of Tiers is immersive and there’s a lot to this no-tech city, with tons of world building with the world it’s on as well as other places in the galaxy that we don’t see in the story, but are mentioned and expanded through the narrative. It’s one of the first things I noticed while reading and grabbed me as a way to tide me over before the character development set in. The action scenes throughout are really well done, I could follow all of them along without much trouble. Though the description of the violence is on the highly graphic side of things, including lots of blood , so if that sort of thing bothers you, you might not enjoy this one. Though the story is a dark one, and can be bleak at times, the occasional humor and optimistic moments prevent it from being completely hopeless.
At the core of this story are basic questions about human life, convictions and the hardships of war and living in such a hardened city. This book got me thinking quite a bit about those things and more, without being preachy as some books could be. They all contributed to the narrative as well as each of the characters.
Overall, this is a great adult science fantasy novel, and if you can stomach the graphic violence, I highly recommend it.
September 28, 2019
A great debut novel. Action in spades, a touch of anime lunacy and excellent swordplay fiction. Good space fantasy all around. Moving and exciting.
The part that moved this to 5 stars was his his chapter about his early life, this man has made an excellent start to novels, and I hope nothing more than for a large library for his kids.
The part that moved this to 5 stars was his his chapter about his early life, this man has made an excellent start to novels, and I hope nothing more than for a large library for his kids.
April 2, 2020
Excellent novel
This novel is very interesting. You could say it was a fantasy with lots of combat. But, it really explores the damage a life of war does to people. I found the characters to be very interesting and I enjoyed the story immensely.
This novel is very interesting. You could say it was a fantasy with lots of combat. But, it really explores the damage a life of war does to people. I found the characters to be very interesting and I enjoyed the story immensely.
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