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Eve of Redemption #7
Convergence
With her brother-in-law imprisoned behind enemy lines, Kari must mount a daring rescue to rival her previous forays to Mehr'Durillia. The problem is, the battles she's fought in recent weeks have left her in no condition to go anywhere...
Now she must lean on the tactical and fighting expertise of her former commander, Kris Jir'tana, to lead the Silver Blades in their covert mission. But she will not be idle, for there are many battles left to be fought at home. In the wake of the attack upon her home city, she must uncover a treachery decades old and buried deep to prevent DarkWind and Citaria from becoming battlegrounds.
Justice, vengeance, and retribution will collide in a convergence of fates that will change the destinies of three worlds forever...
Now she must lean on the tactical and fighting expertise of her former commander, Kris Jir'tana, to lead the Silver Blades in their covert mission. But she will not be idle, for there are many battles left to be fought at home. In the wake of the attack upon her home city, she must uncover a treachery decades old and buried deep to prevent DarkWind and Citaria from becoming battlegrounds.
Justice, vengeance, and retribution will collide in a convergence of fates that will change the destinies of three worlds forever...
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2018
18 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Joe Jackson
22 books181 followersAs an avid fan of fantasy, I try to combine shades of some of my favorite authors' writing - Tad Williams, Raymond E. Feist, and RA Salvatore, among others - into my own world. The result is a world of rich descriptions, complex politics, and heart-racing combat.
I started writing Sci-Fi short stories in fifth grade after seeing the movie "Aliens" in the theater. After getting into Dungeons & Dragons with friends as a teenager, my interests moved to Epic Fantasy, but still rooted in a Sci-Fi alien world. The Eve of Redemption series represents the culmination of years of world-building and back-story development, much of it through epic AD&D campaigns, that takes familiar epic fantasy and brings it to an alien world.
I live in Rhode Island with my wife and two daughters. When I'm not chasing the rascals around the yard or counting beans for the boss, I'm usually imagining the next turn on the long road that the Eve of Redemption series brings.
I started writing Sci-Fi short stories in fifth grade after seeing the movie "Aliens" in the theater. After getting into Dungeons & Dragons with friends as a teenager, my interests moved to Epic Fantasy, but still rooted in a Sci-Fi alien world. The Eve of Redemption series represents the culmination of years of world-building and back-story development, much of it through epic AD&D campaigns, that takes familiar epic fantasy and brings it to an alien world.
I live in Rhode Island with my wife and two daughters. When I'm not chasing the rascals around the yard or counting beans for the boss, I'm usually imagining the next turn on the long road that the Eve of Redemption series brings.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 21, 2018
Erik has been kidnapped, but his family is determined to get him back. But Erik isn't the only problem facing Kari. The city is still smouldering from the aftermath of the attacks, and her body is warning her she can't keep going with these kinds of adventures . . .
I received a free review copy from the author. However, I liked it enough I also bought the book.
As expected from the ominous news last book, Erik's situation is grim. Captured by the demon lord he and the Silver Blades once bested, held deep within demon-controlled territory, there's little chance he'll be rescued. Yet knowing his siblings, he knows they'll try.
I liked the unexpected way this worked out. The split viewpoint really helps here, as we can see Erik's inside view of the situation, as well as Kris's approach to infiltrating deep enough to have a chance at getting him back. But the complications---some good, some bad---keep forcing both sides to change their approach.
Also, I'm never going to get tired of these werewolves. Sharyn is just enough like the beshathans to cause some really fun interactions.
Kris is a very different leader from Kari or Erik. He takes account of the people with him, the situation around him, and is constantly planning. I like how he's aware of the potential problems with having fighters who have never actually killed before, and how he deals with the psychological aspects of his team and the enemy. He's also suitably epic in fights, although I get the feeling he's got much more in reserve. His divine heritage works somewhat differently than Kari's gift from Sakkrass.
I like that Kris is a Christian, and acknowledges that this poses a few theological difficulties in a world with multiple gods, but since the plot isn't here to argue about such niceties, the story just notes it and moves on. In some ways his is a harder faith than Kari, who can interact more directly with her gods, but he's rock solid in it. And it doesn't stop him from encouraging Liria to connect with her own creator, Sakkrass.
I also liked getting more of Corbanis. He's fighting for the family he's just gotten back, and he's also quite amusing when he's really mad.
Erik gets quite a nice arc too. I liked that some of his rough edges are knocked off almost unintentionally as he finds himself in uncharted territory. I can't wait to see the ways this will change things going forward. I like how an earlier kindness cycled back around again and gave him so much.
We also get a bit of an update on Typhonix, which was nice. Some intriguing hints point to future stories, but for now it's mostly an interlude to keep everyone up to date.
In an interesting twist, Kari herself isn't a member of the rescue squad. She's done so much the last several books, with not much of a chance to take a break, and I think it's great we see some of that catching up with her enough to force her to tend to her own needs. Of course, that doesn't mean she's on vacation. With her house burned down, the Order a mess from the recent incursion, and various other things that crop up, a long journey might have felt like a break.
And by the end she's MORE than made up for any lower-key things she was involved in before. Kari on the warpath is capable of some delightfully enormous mayhem . . .
I also found it hysterical that Kari finally learns the meaning of the insult she's been so casually slinging around, and her reaction to the whole episode is priceless.
Overall this is yet another solid entry in a fantastic series. I rate this book Highly Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
I received a free review copy from the author. However, I liked it enough I also bought the book.
As expected from the ominous news last book, Erik's situation is grim. Captured by the demon lord he and the Silver Blades once bested, held deep within demon-controlled territory, there's little chance he'll be rescued. Yet knowing his siblings, he knows they'll try.
I liked the unexpected way this worked out. The split viewpoint really helps here, as we can see Erik's inside view of the situation, as well as Kris's approach to infiltrating deep enough to have a chance at getting him back. But the complications---some good, some bad---keep forcing both sides to change their approach.
Also, I'm never going to get tired of these werewolves. Sharyn is just enough like the beshathans to cause some really fun interactions.
Kris is a very different leader from Kari or Erik. He takes account of the people with him, the situation around him, and is constantly planning. I like how he's aware of the potential problems with having fighters who have never actually killed before, and how he deals with the psychological aspects of his team and the enemy. He's also suitably epic in fights, although I get the feeling he's got much more in reserve. His divine heritage works somewhat differently than Kari's gift from Sakkrass.
I like that Kris is a Christian, and acknowledges that this poses a few theological difficulties in a world with multiple gods, but since the plot isn't here to argue about such niceties, the story just notes it and moves on. In some ways his is a harder faith than Kari, who can interact more directly with her gods, but he's rock solid in it. And it doesn't stop him from encouraging Liria to connect with her own creator, Sakkrass.
I also liked getting more of Corbanis. He's fighting for the family he's just gotten back, and he's also quite amusing when he's really mad.
“Hang on, Aeligos gave me his lock picks,” Corbanis said. He pulled the shield off his back and slammed his girth behind it into the door, smashing the flimsy portal off its hinges with ease. “That was easier than he makes it out to be…”
Erik gets quite a nice arc too. I liked that some of his rough edges are knocked off almost unintentionally as he finds himself in uncharted territory. I can't wait to see the ways this will change things going forward. I like how an earlier kindness cycled back around again and gave him so much.
We also get a bit of an update on Typhonix, which was nice. Some intriguing hints point to future stories, but for now it's mostly an interlude to keep everyone up to date.
In an interesting twist, Kari herself isn't a member of the rescue squad. She's done so much the last several books, with not much of a chance to take a break, and I think it's great we see some of that catching up with her enough to force her to tend to her own needs. Of course, that doesn't mean she's on vacation. With her house burned down, the Order a mess from the recent incursion, and various other things that crop up, a long journey might have felt like a break.
And by the end she's MORE than made up for any lower-key things she was involved in before. Kari on the warpath is capable of some delightfully enormous mayhem . . .
I also found it hysterical that Kari finally learns the meaning of the insult she's been so casually slinging around, and her reaction to the whole episode is priceless.
Overall this is yet another solid entry in a fantastic series. I rate this book Highly Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
June 3, 2019
The Gear-Shift Installment Of The Series
*Convergence* is the seventh installment in the *Eve of Redemption* series by Joe Jackson. If you are reading this, I'm going to make two assumptions - either you are already a fan, or you have stumbled by chance onto the middle point of this fantasy series. If you are the latter case, I strongly recommend you to read reviews for multiple installments of the series - the beginning is a slow going, but if you're willing to invest time in it, you'll discover one of the finest fantasy series there is on the market today, with a healthy dose of pulp and slice-of-life drama added in.
As the title of this review implies, this novel is the point of no return - now demonhunter Karian Vanador and her battalion of allies, friends, and relatives must prevail in their ongoing struggle against the demon kings of Merh'Durillia, or risk utter defeat and possibly eternal enslavement. If the previous book - *Preludes To War* - was about escalating the conflict and plot, *Convergence* is about cementing the new status quo, thus altering the tone for the entire series.
So, what is this book about?
STORY
*Convergence* opens up immediately after the events of the previous book, *Preludes To War*; in this respect the two tittles are more like a singular novel split in half rather than two separate installments. The main plot follows two narrative threads: one is focused on Kari and the fallout she has to deal with from the previous book and take steps to ensure it won't happen again, and the other story arc is centered around [MILD SPOILER] a rescue party sent on a mission deep into Merh'Durillia to save a captured major character. [SPOILER END]
Though the above premise may sound dry, the narrative is gripping and fast-paced, particularly the arc regarding Kari. A lot of stuff happens between the pages: daring escapes, epic showdowns, unveiled conspiracies, and surprising revelations. What is amazing, however, is the author's ability to always introduce new and often unexpected developments for relatively mundane sub-plots between the large story and events. *Convergence* is full of these minor story arcs, and they stay meaningful and engaging no matter how hectic things become in the bigger picture. It is a relatively unknown (if not outright non-existent) element in "epic" fiction, whether fantasy or sci-fi, so serious props to the author for continuing to inject vitality and believability into his world in such a unique way.
That said, *Convergence* doesn't lack reveals on the larger scale of the story. Quite the opposite in fact; the are several of them, some obvious and some subtle, and one of them is a direct hook for the subsequent book. Without giving into spoilers, at the end of the novel many things are changed, both from the perspective of the world(s) and of the series' large cast of characters. As the title of the book says, things all come together, converging into a fresh set of personal and world-wide paradigms, readying the series to kick off onto a new level.
Not to mention, we finally get to see a glimpse of the enigmatic Strekan Province.
Appendix? Yep.
CHARACTERS
In contrast to the previous books, this one has a lot characters that it juggles between. Kari, as always, is at the front and center in terms of spotlight time. But despite the overloaded stage and limited page space, each of the other characters, whether minor or major ones, get their fair share of development and action. Admittedly, during the rescue mission there were some moments here and there where some characters felt "silent" in the narrative, but this is nigh-unavoidable when there are 6+ characters in any given scene that aren't just bystanders - and in *Convergence*'s case, we are talking about an entire story thread filled with scenes featuring about a dozen characters!
What's more, around the last third of the book things get REALLY dramatic for many of the secondary and minor characters, and for some of the main ones, too. And by the last twenty or so pages the ante is upped even further, especially for Aeligos and Eryn, and their personal stories take a sudden twist that was quite unexpected. Without spoiling anything, I can say that the changes in the characters' story arcs will make you screaming for a sequel. Yeah, the twists are that sudden and good.
TECHNICAL PRESENTATION
*Convergence* has some minor hiccups here and there in terms of pacing or narrative; however, given how complex and interlinked is the structure of the novel, with many criss-crossing plots and arcs and personal stories, this is completely a non-issue. In fact, the opposite is true: despite the many twists and turns in the narrative and jumps between different points of view, the narrative is clear and can be followed without effort.
Also, despite the frequent jumps between characters and locales, the tension-breaking problems from previous installments is now almost imperceptible.
CONCLUSION
A solid entry in the series. Very solid. The overall story arc is given a new fire to drive the reader onward, and given what I've seen until now, the rest of the novels are capable of delivering just as solidly as this one.
I wonder how much the dragon count will increase by the end of the series.
*Convergence* is the seventh installment in the *Eve of Redemption* series by Joe Jackson. If you are reading this, I'm going to make two assumptions - either you are already a fan, or you have stumbled by chance onto the middle point of this fantasy series. If you are the latter case, I strongly recommend you to read reviews for multiple installments of the series - the beginning is a slow going, but if you're willing to invest time in it, you'll discover one of the finest fantasy series there is on the market today, with a healthy dose of pulp and slice-of-life drama added in.
As the title of this review implies, this novel is the point of no return - now demonhunter Karian Vanador and her battalion of allies, friends, and relatives must prevail in their ongoing struggle against the demon kings of Merh'Durillia, or risk utter defeat and possibly eternal enslavement. If the previous book - *Preludes To War* - was about escalating the conflict and plot, *Convergence* is about cementing the new status quo, thus altering the tone for the entire series.
So, what is this book about?
STORY
*Convergence* opens up immediately after the events of the previous book, *Preludes To War*; in this respect the two tittles are more like a singular novel split in half rather than two separate installments. The main plot follows two narrative threads: one is focused on Kari and the fallout she has to deal with from the previous book and take steps to ensure it won't happen again, and the other story arc is centered around [MILD SPOILER] a rescue party sent on a mission deep into Merh'Durillia to save a captured major character. [SPOILER END]
Though the above premise may sound dry, the narrative is gripping and fast-paced, particularly the arc regarding Kari. A lot of stuff happens between the pages: daring escapes, epic showdowns, unveiled conspiracies, and surprising revelations. What is amazing, however, is the author's ability to always introduce new and often unexpected developments for relatively mundane sub-plots between the large story and events. *Convergence* is full of these minor story arcs, and they stay meaningful and engaging no matter how hectic things become in the bigger picture. It is a relatively unknown (if not outright non-existent) element in "epic" fiction, whether fantasy or sci-fi, so serious props to the author for continuing to inject vitality and believability into his world in such a unique way.
That said, *Convergence* doesn't lack reveals on the larger scale of the story. Quite the opposite in fact; the are several of them, some obvious and some subtle, and one of them is a direct hook for the subsequent book. Without giving into spoilers, at the end of the novel many things are changed, both from the perspective of the world(s) and of the series' large cast of characters. As the title of the book says, things all come together, converging into a fresh set of personal and world-wide paradigms, readying the series to kick off onto a new level.
Not to mention, we finally get to see a glimpse of the enigmatic Strekan Province.
Appendix? Yep.
CHARACTERS
In contrast to the previous books, this one has a lot characters that it juggles between. Kari, as always, is at the front and center in terms of spotlight time. But despite the overloaded stage and limited page space, each of the other characters, whether minor or major ones, get their fair share of development and action. Admittedly, during the rescue mission there were some moments here and there where some characters felt "silent" in the narrative, but this is nigh-unavoidable when there are 6+ characters in any given scene that aren't just bystanders - and in *Convergence*'s case, we are talking about an entire story thread filled with scenes featuring about a dozen characters!
What's more, around the last third of the book things get REALLY dramatic for many of the secondary and minor characters, and for some of the main ones, too. And by the last twenty or so pages the ante is upped even further, especially for Aeligos and Eryn, and their personal stories take a sudden twist that was quite unexpected. Without spoiling anything, I can say that the changes in the characters' story arcs will make you screaming for a sequel. Yeah, the twists are that sudden and good.
TECHNICAL PRESENTATION
*Convergence* has some minor hiccups here and there in terms of pacing or narrative; however, given how complex and interlinked is the structure of the novel, with many criss-crossing plots and arcs and personal stories, this is completely a non-issue. In fact, the opposite is true: despite the many twists and turns in the narrative and jumps between different points of view, the narrative is clear and can be followed without effort.
Also, despite the frequent jumps between characters and locales, the tension-breaking problems from previous installments is now almost imperceptible.
CONCLUSION
A solid entry in the series. Very solid. The overall story arc is given a new fire to drive the reader onward, and given what I've seen until now, the rest of the novels are capable of delivering just as solidly as this one.
I wonder how much the dragon count will increase by the end of the series.
November 25, 2018
The penultimate entry of author Joe Jackson’s Eve of Redemption series opens with one of the Silver Blades, Erik, in pain and physical bonds as a consequence for seeking Taesenus the Tilcimer deep in the demon king Arku’s realm, thinking that being far behind enemy lines doesn’t warrant a rescue. The main chapters once again feature protagonist Karian “Kari” Vanador and her family living at an orphanage, her and her late husband Grakin’s estate having incinerated, the culprit interrogated early on. Throughout the story, Kari occasionally has dreams of a third child in addition to her boy and girl, related to an incident in the prior installment.
Fortunately for Kari, she receives aid for reconstructing her home while her friends and in-law, among them her new love interest Kris, going to Mehr’Durillia to rescue Erik. In the meantime, one of Kari’s brothers-in-law, Typhonix or Ty for short, is gradually recovering from the lower-body paralysis he received a few books ago. Kari herself visits the estate of Albrecht Allerius, its family at the time in mourning for the family patriarch recently killed in battle, and continues her work at the Demonhunter Order’s campus reading texts such as the writings of Turik Jalar.
Meanwhile, Kris and the Silver Blades sneak through towns in Mehr’Durillia, occasionally engaging in combat with erestram, although unbeknown to them, their rescue target Erik is already in a sort of exodus from his captivity. More combat erupts in the city of Agivak, with the heroes knowing that many will flock to the cause Kari initiated in overthrowing the demon kings, Karian herself ultimately venturing into Mehr’Durillia to personally take care of the demonic overlords. The seventh story ends on a triumphant note, and with Kari somewhat moving on from her past relationship with Grakin.
Overall, the second-to-last installment of Jackson’s series is very much on par with its predecessors, which isn’t a bad thing as it features plenty of good anthropomorphic characters and well-detailed battle sequences, in addition to occasional twists. As with its precursors, however, one can easily forget the appearances of the racially-diverse dramatis personae, and there are occasional parts that somewhat clash with the franchise’s fantastical setting, such as the naming of an infirmary San Bernardo Memorial Hospital. Regardless, those who enjoyed the seventh book’s prequels will most likely enjoy Convergence, and those unfamiliar with the franchise would best start from the beginning.
Fortunately for Kari, she receives aid for reconstructing her home while her friends and in-law, among them her new love interest Kris, going to Mehr’Durillia to rescue Erik. In the meantime, one of Kari’s brothers-in-law, Typhonix or Ty for short, is gradually recovering from the lower-body paralysis he received a few books ago. Kari herself visits the estate of Albrecht Allerius, its family at the time in mourning for the family patriarch recently killed in battle, and continues her work at the Demonhunter Order’s campus reading texts such as the writings of Turik Jalar.
Meanwhile, Kris and the Silver Blades sneak through towns in Mehr’Durillia, occasionally engaging in combat with erestram, although unbeknown to them, their rescue target Erik is already in a sort of exodus from his captivity. More combat erupts in the city of Agivak, with the heroes knowing that many will flock to the cause Kari initiated in overthrowing the demon kings, Karian herself ultimately venturing into Mehr’Durillia to personally take care of the demonic overlords. The seventh story ends on a triumphant note, and with Kari somewhat moving on from her past relationship with Grakin.
Overall, the second-to-last installment of Jackson’s series is very much on par with its predecessors, which isn’t a bad thing as it features plenty of good anthropomorphic characters and well-detailed battle sequences, in addition to occasional twists. As with its precursors, however, one can easily forget the appearances of the racially-diverse dramatis personae, and there are occasional parts that somewhat clash with the franchise’s fantastical setting, such as the naming of an infirmary San Bernardo Memorial Hospital. Regardless, those who enjoyed the seventh book’s prequels will most likely enjoy Convergence, and those unfamiliar with the franchise would best start from the beginning.
February 19, 2018
At first it seems like Kari is going to take a back seat in this story while she recovers from the injuries sustained in book 6. However, she doesn't stay down long and when she does get back into the fight it is in an epic fashion. While she does take some time to recover we see the rest of the Silver Blades, lead by Kari's new love interest Kris Jir'tana, head to Mehr'Durilia to rescue Erik. They arrive to find that he has already been rescued but is still trapped "behind enemy lines". An entertaining chase ensues with Kris and his team trying to locate Erik while keeping the enemy off balance so that they do not locate Erik and his rescuers first. This is an edge of your seat read as you wait to see who will find Erik first. what Kari will do when confronted with two hated enemies in Mehr'Durillia, and what happens between Erik and his rescuer.
August 27, 2021
Absolutely brilliant
October 1, 2025
a fantastic new phase of Kari's journey
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews