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The Pillars of Reality #1
The Dragons of Dorcastle
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.
For centuries, the two Great Guilds have controlled the world of Dematr. The Mechanics and the Mages have been bitter rivals, agreeing only on the need to keep the world they rule from changing. But now a Storm approaches, one that could sweep away everything that humans have built. Only one person has any chance of uniting enough of the world behind her to stop the Storm, but the Great Guilds and many others will stop at nothing to defeat her.
Mari is a brilliant young Mechanic, just out of the Guild Halls where she has spent most of her life learning how to run the steam locomotives and other devices of her Guild. Alain is the youngest Mage ever to learn how to change the world he sees with the power of his mind. Each has been taught that the works of the other’s Guild are frauds. But when their caravan is destroyed, they begin to discover how much has been kept from them.
As they survive danger after danger, Alain discovers what Mari doesn’t know—that she was long ago prophesized as the only one who can save their world. When Mari reawakens emotions he had been taught to deny, Alain realizes he must sacrifice everything to save her. Mari, fighting her own feelings, discovers that only together can she and Alain hope to stay alive and overcome the Dragons of Dorcastle.
For centuries, the two Great Guilds have controlled the world of Dematr. The Mechanics and the Mages have been bitter rivals, agreeing only on the need to keep the world they rule from changing. But now a Storm approaches, one that could sweep away everything that humans have built. Only one person has any chance of uniting enough of the world behind her to stop the Storm, but the Great Guilds and many others will stop at nothing to defeat her.
Mari is a brilliant young Mechanic, just out of the Guild Halls where she has spent most of her life learning how to run the steam locomotives and other devices of her Guild. Alain is the youngest Mage ever to learn how to change the world he sees with the power of his mind. Each has been taught that the works of the other’s Guild are frauds. But when their caravan is destroyed, they begin to discover how much has been kept from them.
As they survive danger after danger, Alain discovers what Mari doesn’t know—that she was long ago prophesized as the only one who can save their world. When Mari reawakens emotions he had been taught to deny, Alain realizes he must sacrifice everything to save her. Mari, fighting her own feelings, discovers that only together can she and Alain hope to stay alive and overcome the Dragons of Dorcastle.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 2014
236 people are currently reading
3793 people want to read
About the author
Jack Campbell
113 books3,036 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 428 reviews
July 2, 2016
Yup, re-reading this again...for the 4th time in less then a year.
Imagine a world ruled by two enemy groups: mages & mechanics, both of which think the other is a fraud. Imagine what happens when a mage and a mechanic find themselves in a life or death situation and against the teachings of their guilds, decide to band together to survive. This is the setup for The Dragons of Dorcastle, one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
Alain and Mari meet when the caravan in which they were traveling was attacked. Even though they don’t trust each other, they decide to stick together in order to increase their chance of survival. Very soon, they learn what they were taught about the other is wrong and that the “tricks” the other side employs are definitely real. As they evade their attackers and spend time in the desert, they learn that with all their differences, they also have lots of similarities. They are the youngest mage and mechanic in their guilds and because of this, they are treated by their superiors with disdain.
Alain is outwardly unemotional, taught with torture to control his feelings as a way to attain power. His training was so brutal that he forgot the meaning of “help”, “thanks” and “friend” but as he spends more time with Mari, feelings start coming back. Once they are rescued, he cannot forget her and thinks she must have spelled him because why else does he find excuses to look for her? Mari, for her part, finds herself in a lot of danger and to her surprise, realizes that Alain is the only person she can trust. Something is wrong in their guilds and all their attempts to find answers are silenced. Soon enough they have to decide whether to follow their own path or to reject the evidence of their own eyes in order to keep belonging to the only “family” they’ve known most of their lives.
The story is fast paced with tons of great action and very interesting world building. Both main characters are well drawn and very believable. I’ve read many books with the “one person destined to save the world” trope but I could believe it of Mari. She’s a natural leader, kind, strong, smart, creative, caring and capable. I could see her desire to do the right thing and change things for the better. I could definitely understand why so many people were willing to follow her.
The romance in the story is substantial but there’s nothing mushy about it. Even though Alain and Mari are young (17 and 18 respectively), the story doesn’t have an young adult feel. There’s barely any physical description from either of them (no odes to broad shoulders or changing eye color!), just two people who fall in love for who they are.
You listen to me, you believe in me, you respect me and you care about me. You’re honest and smart, and brave and resourceful, you never ask for anything for yourself and you’re always there when I need you.
Is it a wonder that these two fell in love?
If the book has one flaw is that the Elders/Senior Mechanics of the Mage and Mechanics guilds are too caricaturish and almost clones of each other. I understand that they are supposed to be the same – meaning, that even though they are enemies, they are alike in their attempt to keep the status quo. No leader will change a world that will depose them, even if if it’s for the good of the majority. At the same time, their actions were so similar that it almost seemed like they were in cahoots.
I listened to the audiobook version narrated by the very talented MacLeod Andrews. He has a great range of male voices and his interpretation is very nuanced. Alain in particular is a challenge as his voice is almost always emotionless, but Mr. Andrews manages to imbue his statements with a directness that make him sound both serious and refreshingly honest.
I liked this book so much that I started the two following books back to back (something which I almost never do.) If you like fantasy, I simply cannot recommend this highly enough.
Imagine a world ruled by two enemy groups: mages & mechanics, both of which think the other is a fraud. Imagine what happens when a mage and a mechanic find themselves in a life or death situation and against the teachings of their guilds, decide to band together to survive. This is the setup for The Dragons of Dorcastle, one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
Alain and Mari meet when the caravan in which they were traveling was attacked. Even though they don’t trust each other, they decide to stick together in order to increase their chance of survival. Very soon, they learn what they were taught about the other is wrong and that the “tricks” the other side employs are definitely real. As they evade their attackers and spend time in the desert, they learn that with all their differences, they also have lots of similarities. They are the youngest mage and mechanic in their guilds and because of this, they are treated by their superiors with disdain.
Alain is outwardly unemotional, taught with torture to control his feelings as a way to attain power. His training was so brutal that he forgot the meaning of “help”, “thanks” and “friend” but as he spends more time with Mari, feelings start coming back. Once they are rescued, he cannot forget her and thinks she must have spelled him because why else does he find excuses to look for her? Mari, for her part, finds herself in a lot of danger and to her surprise, realizes that Alain is the only person she can trust. Something is wrong in their guilds and all their attempts to find answers are silenced. Soon enough they have to decide whether to follow their own path or to reject the evidence of their own eyes in order to keep belonging to the only “family” they’ve known most of their lives.
The story is fast paced with tons of great action and very interesting world building. Both main characters are well drawn and very believable. I’ve read many books with the “one person destined to save the world” trope but I could believe it of Mari. She’s a natural leader, kind, strong, smart, creative, caring and capable. I could see her desire to do the right thing and change things for the better. I could definitely understand why so many people were willing to follow her.
The romance in the story is substantial but there’s nothing mushy about it. Even though Alain and Mari are young (17 and 18 respectively), the story doesn’t have an young adult feel. There’s barely any physical description from either of them (no odes to broad shoulders or changing eye color!), just two people who fall in love for who they are.
You listen to me, you believe in me, you respect me and you care about me. You’re honest and smart, and brave and resourceful, you never ask for anything for yourself and you’re always there when I need you.
Is it a wonder that these two fell in love?
If the book has one flaw is that the Elders/Senior Mechanics of the Mage and Mechanics guilds are too caricaturish and almost clones of each other. I understand that they are supposed to be the same – meaning, that even though they are enemies, they are alike in their attempt to keep the status quo. No leader will change a world that will depose them, even if if it’s for the good of the majority. At the same time, their actions were so similar that it almost seemed like they were in cahoots.
I listened to the audiobook version narrated by the very talented MacLeod Andrews. He has a great range of male voices and his interpretation is very nuanced. Alain in particular is a challenge as his voice is almost always emotionless, but Mr. Andrews manages to imbue his statements with a directness that make him sound both serious and refreshingly honest.
I liked this book so much that I started the two following books back to back (something which I almost never do.) If you like fantasy, I simply cannot recommend this highly enough.
April 26, 2016
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/05/17/b...
Boy is a Mage, brought up on lessons about the power of illusions, taught that reality is a sham and that people are shadows – and oh, no matter what you do, do NOT trust those lying, stinking Mechanics.
Girl is a Mechanic, a master of logic and equations who prides herself on the fact that no machine is beyond her abilities to fix, and of course, Mechanics are just so much better than those useless Mages.
Then boy meets girl. Everything changes. Alain and Mari come together after their caravan is destroyed by bandits, only managing to survive the treacherous journey back to civilization with each other’s help. They begin to discover just how much their Guild elders have kept from them, secrets and misconceptions that have been keeping the Mage-Mechanical rivalry alive for all these hundreds of years.
Then the power of Foresight unexpectedly comes to Alain. He learns something that Mari doesn’t know – that she is in fact the prophesied chosen one who will unite the two great guilds and save the world. As the two are sent to Dorcastle amidst rumors of uncontrolled dragons and sabotage, Alain can hardly begin to describe the way he feels for Mari, but he does know staying away from her as his masters had ordered is not an option.
The Dragons of Dorcastle is a sweet little story about the serendipitous partnership between two people from different divides, who end up realizing they were wrong about everything they thought they knew about the other. I’d never read anything by John G. Hemry AKA Jack Campbell before, though I do know a bit about his military sci-fi Lost Fleet series, which I can’t imagine can be any more different than this book, a Young Adult-ish fantasy and steampunk romance.
Surprisingly though, this was very good. A little standard, perhaps, and playing a bit too safe when it comes to ideas. However, seeing as this book was originally written to be an audiobook exclusive for Audible Studios, it wouldn’t surprise me if a fun and practical story like this – intended to appeal to a wider and more general audience – was a conscious decision. And it was probably the right decision; I can see it being the perfect choice for anyone in the mood for an entertaining and light read looking to pass the time, though it’s possible that diehard genre readers may be left unsatisfied.
But hey, here be dragons. Well, okay, maybe not exactly. I don’t actually hold this against the book, but I think it’s worth mentioning anyhow that I find the title a bit misleading. There’s some dragon activity for sure, though it doesn’t come until very late in the book, and relatively briefly. Relating this to my thoughts above, I can’t help but to think the name was another clever move to boost appeal. Granted, the story does present a rather intriguing mystery about the dragons at the end, so even though they aren’t the center of attention, we are left with some major dragon-related questions to ponder and there’s no doubt they will play a bigger role in the next book.
Perhaps the novel’s greatest strength is its focus the characters. Most of the book is spent developing the relationship between Alain and Mari, even when the two aren’t even in the same scene. We’re in their heads all the time, experiencing their thoughts and emotions as contemplate the other. The narrative does an especially good job with Alain, whose capacity for emotions has been all but stripped by the Mage guild. The way I looked at the situation, it’s actually a lot like reading about Spock falling in love. That is to say, it’s no easy feat. The author deserves my admiration for pulling it off.
Let’s face it, too: I’m a sucker for Forbidden Love. Despite being YA and the style of prose leaning towards younger audiences, I really enjoyed the delightful romance blooming between Alain and Mari. It’s a relationship I find more “cute” than “passionate”, but nonetheless it worked surprisingly well for me.
In the end, The Dragons of Dorcastle is not a terribly original or noteworthy book, but I really liked it. Its down-to-earth style, entertainment value, and wonderful characters made it very hard for me to resist its charms. All told, a very good book to just curl up and relax with.
Boy is a Mage, brought up on lessons about the power of illusions, taught that reality is a sham and that people are shadows – and oh, no matter what you do, do NOT trust those lying, stinking Mechanics.
Girl is a Mechanic, a master of logic and equations who prides herself on the fact that no machine is beyond her abilities to fix, and of course, Mechanics are just so much better than those useless Mages.
Then boy meets girl. Everything changes. Alain and Mari come together after their caravan is destroyed by bandits, only managing to survive the treacherous journey back to civilization with each other’s help. They begin to discover just how much their Guild elders have kept from them, secrets and misconceptions that have been keeping the Mage-Mechanical rivalry alive for all these hundreds of years.
Then the power of Foresight unexpectedly comes to Alain. He learns something that Mari doesn’t know – that she is in fact the prophesied chosen one who will unite the two great guilds and save the world. As the two are sent to Dorcastle amidst rumors of uncontrolled dragons and sabotage, Alain can hardly begin to describe the way he feels for Mari, but he does know staying away from her as his masters had ordered is not an option.
The Dragons of Dorcastle is a sweet little story about the serendipitous partnership between two people from different divides, who end up realizing they were wrong about everything they thought they knew about the other. I’d never read anything by John G. Hemry AKA Jack Campbell before, though I do know a bit about his military sci-fi Lost Fleet series, which I can’t imagine can be any more different than this book, a Young Adult-ish fantasy and steampunk romance.
Surprisingly though, this was very good. A little standard, perhaps, and playing a bit too safe when it comes to ideas. However, seeing as this book was originally written to be an audiobook exclusive for Audible Studios, it wouldn’t surprise me if a fun and practical story like this – intended to appeal to a wider and more general audience – was a conscious decision. And it was probably the right decision; I can see it being the perfect choice for anyone in the mood for an entertaining and light read looking to pass the time, though it’s possible that diehard genre readers may be left unsatisfied.
But hey, here be dragons. Well, okay, maybe not exactly. I don’t actually hold this against the book, but I think it’s worth mentioning anyhow that I find the title a bit misleading. There’s some dragon activity for sure, though it doesn’t come until very late in the book, and relatively briefly. Relating this to my thoughts above, I can’t help but to think the name was another clever move to boost appeal. Granted, the story does present a rather intriguing mystery about the dragons at the end, so even though they aren’t the center of attention, we are left with some major dragon-related questions to ponder and there’s no doubt they will play a bigger role in the next book.
Perhaps the novel’s greatest strength is its focus the characters. Most of the book is spent developing the relationship between Alain and Mari, even when the two aren’t even in the same scene. We’re in their heads all the time, experiencing their thoughts and emotions as contemplate the other. The narrative does an especially good job with Alain, whose capacity for emotions has been all but stripped by the Mage guild. The way I looked at the situation, it’s actually a lot like reading about Spock falling in love. That is to say, it’s no easy feat. The author deserves my admiration for pulling it off.
Let’s face it, too: I’m a sucker for Forbidden Love. Despite being YA and the style of prose leaning towards younger audiences, I really enjoyed the delightful romance blooming between Alain and Mari. It’s a relationship I find more “cute” than “passionate”, but nonetheless it worked surprisingly well for me.
In the end, The Dragons of Dorcastle is not a terribly original or noteworthy book, but I really liked it. Its down-to-earth style, entertainment value, and wonderful characters made it very hard for me to resist its charms. All told, a very good book to just curl up and relax with.
May 16, 2015
For a book written SPECIFICALLY as an audiobook, I was horribly disappointed. The interactions between Marie and Alain were painful, cyclical, and all around miserable. In fact, the best parts of the book were when Marie and Alain were nowhere near each other. The dialogue between them was tedious, repetitive, and overall frustrating. I understand the need to emphasize their different thought patterns and the importance of developing their relationship, but I couldn't help but roll my eyes in almost every scene. I like the idea of a world where it is mechanics vs. mages and you have star-crossed lovers who change the world, but the execution was terrible.
April 10, 2015
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book very much. The writing is efficient, and avoids anything excessive or flowery. The story is well plotted, and interesting, but it is the characters that made it really stand out for me. Both Alain and Mari are complex, and well developed characters. I really felt for both of them. I liked that there wasn’t any instant love or even instant attraction. They both have the prejudices of their Guilds, and neither one of them is willing to trust the other at first. It takes time for them to learn to understand, and respect each other before even friendship can begin. I liked that they were both thoughtful characters, and they took time to think about things, and to understand the situation BEFORE they acted. I liked that they learned to appreciate each other, and how their difference often times worked to their benefit. The conflict was interesting, and I liked seeing both of them learning to see beyond what they have been told. The resolution was well done, and while this is the first book in a series, it felt complete. No artificial cliffhanger, or last minute introductions. Overall a very good start of an interesting new series. I can’t wait to read more.
I really enjoyed this book very much. The writing is efficient, and avoids anything excessive or flowery. The story is well plotted, and interesting, but it is the characters that made it really stand out for me. Both Alain and Mari are complex, and well developed characters. I really felt for both of them. I liked that there wasn’t any instant love or even instant attraction. They both have the prejudices of their Guilds, and neither one of them is willing to trust the other at first. It takes time for them to learn to understand, and respect each other before even friendship can begin. I liked that they were both thoughtful characters, and they took time to think about things, and to understand the situation BEFORE they acted. I liked that they learned to appreciate each other, and how their difference often times worked to their benefit. The conflict was interesting, and I liked seeing both of them learning to see beyond what they have been told. The resolution was well done, and while this is the first book in a series, it felt complete. No artificial cliffhanger, or last minute introductions. Overall a very good start of an interesting new series. I can’t wait to read more.
March 31, 2016
This is one of a couple of books I've read lately that sort of revolves around the technology and magic theme. This one is a technology (mechanics) VS. magic (mages) book. The story is an excellent one and I like the book greatly by an author I've read and liked before. I felt compelled to give it only 4 stars (and for a while thought it might require a 3) because of one flaw that (for me) almost drove me away from the book before I got involved.
The book takes FOREVER to get rolling. The first half of the book lays out the world we're in. We get some use of info-dumps and some very slow intros. We start out with what should be an interesting action sequence where we meet the 2 protagonists. What could be an interesting escape story slows way down as we learn about attitudes and closed mindedness in excruciating detail...really to excruciating. "We" the reader will be/are aware of what we're being "informed" about long before we're through being told about it.
Also while I've had for a long time a "problem" with the word "trope" (the word just seemed to be so over used for a while it makes me grit my teeth) there is one rather over used trope in the book. (I'll put it under a spoiler warning in a minute, hold on). While it's a well used monkey wrench it gets used "okay" here and it really doesn't take away from the book except for the frustration the reader will feel with the protagonists.
DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN:
However as you can see from the rating the book pulls itself together and the second half of the book pulls you in (or at least it pulled me in) and becomes very interesting. Having given us a good grounding in how things work we now get plunged into the troubles coming on the world. I'm planning to grab the next as soon as I can fit it into my currently reading list (more library books ahead of it).
Recommended, enjoy.
The book takes FOREVER to get rolling. The first half of the book lays out the world we're in. We get some use of info-dumps and some very slow intros. We start out with what should be an interesting action sequence where we meet the 2 protagonists. What could be an interesting escape story slows way down as we learn about attitudes and closed mindedness in excruciating detail...really to excruciating. "We" the reader will be/are aware of what we're being "informed" about long before we're through being told about it.
Also while I've had for a long time a "problem" with the word "trope" (the word just seemed to be so over used for a while it makes me grit my teeth) there is one rather over used trope in the book. (I'll put it under a spoiler warning in a minute, hold on). While it's a well used monkey wrench it gets used "okay" here and it really doesn't take away from the book except for the frustration the reader will feel with the protagonists.
DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN:
However as you can see from the rating the book pulls itself together and the second half of the book pulls you in (or at least it pulled me in) and becomes very interesting. Having given us a good grounding in how things work we now get plunged into the troubles coming on the world. I'm planning to grab the next as soon as I can fit it into my currently reading list (more library books ahead of it).
Recommended, enjoy.
November 5, 2021
November 2021
This was a re-read with my daughter, and she loves magic and dragons and the like. I thought she'd enjoy this and she did! Well worth it to re-listen and revisit Mari and Alain. What a pleasure.
August 2016
Just as good as the first time. MacLeod Andrews rocks this one.
April 2015
Steampunk plus fantasy equals fantastic in this world where magic meets science. What a great book!
This is the story of Alain, young Mage prodigy on his first assignment. The Mages in this world are stoic wielders of magic, concentrating on the idea that life is an illusion and can be manipulated if you just concentrate hard enough. It is also the story of Mari, a young Master Mechanic who's risen up through the ranks of Mechanics rather quickly and unbelievably to most of her superiors. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder because most Mechanics won't take her seriously. She's also on her first assignment in a world where Mechanics are the engineers and scientists. They build machines that make life easier.
The world building in this book is fabulous. The two Guilds (Mage and Mechanic) are established immediately. The story begins with a caravan, setting up the geography of the place and giving context to the world in general. The towns are vivid as are details even down to the type of jackets the Mechanics wear and the foods everyone eats. The society is set up in a way that doesn't just tell us about the world, it serves to further character development. Campbell hit a home run on this front.
The characters are so likable that even if the plot were weaker, they'd save it. Alain's view of life and the world is so firm that he's equally enviable and pitiable. Mari has such spunk and self-confidence that it's impossible not to love her. But the real appeal here is the way they interact. They really do come from different worlds, different languages, different concepts of reality. Even better is the fact that Campbell wrote a female lead here that really leads. She makes decisions that Alain follows even when they're in opposition to what he's been taught. They're both characters who think beyond their training and circumstance, great companions on an interesting quest.
There is a slow-developing romance here which balances the plot about 50/50. Some might find it overpowering, but for me it just served to further the character development. It was surprising near the end but also funny. Campbell just wrote these characters really, really well.
The plot is interesting as the two main characters explore themes of questioning the status quo and searching out the real villains. In some ways the world itself is the villain; certainly the political situation is. It's intricate enough to keep going at a good pace without the need for unnecessary devices.
On audio the book is narrated by MacLeod Andrews. He is simply stellar - I cannot rave enough about how incredibly he brings these characters to life. The book would have been good on its own, but Andrews really brought it over the top. His ability to distinguish each voice with its own personality was amazing.
This series is one I will be re-reading (re-listening) in the future. It is great entertainment at its finest. Campbell is a well-established sci-fi and fantasy writer and this foray into YA is spectacular. Bravo!
This was a re-read with my daughter, and she loves magic and dragons and the like. I thought she'd enjoy this and she did! Well worth it to re-listen and revisit Mari and Alain. What a pleasure.
August 2016
Just as good as the first time. MacLeod Andrews rocks this one.
April 2015
Steampunk plus fantasy equals fantastic in this world where magic meets science. What a great book!
This is the story of Alain, young Mage prodigy on his first assignment. The Mages in this world are stoic wielders of magic, concentrating on the idea that life is an illusion and can be manipulated if you just concentrate hard enough. It is also the story of Mari, a young Master Mechanic who's risen up through the ranks of Mechanics rather quickly and unbelievably to most of her superiors. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder because most Mechanics won't take her seriously. She's also on her first assignment in a world where Mechanics are the engineers and scientists. They build machines that make life easier.
The world building in this book is fabulous. The two Guilds (Mage and Mechanic) are established immediately. The story begins with a caravan, setting up the geography of the place and giving context to the world in general. The towns are vivid as are details even down to the type of jackets the Mechanics wear and the foods everyone eats. The society is set up in a way that doesn't just tell us about the world, it serves to further character development. Campbell hit a home run on this front.
The characters are so likable that even if the plot were weaker, they'd save it. Alain's view of life and the world is so firm that he's equally enviable and pitiable. Mari has such spunk and self-confidence that it's impossible not to love her. But the real appeal here is the way they interact. They really do come from different worlds, different languages, different concepts of reality. Even better is the fact that Campbell wrote a female lead here that really leads. She makes decisions that Alain follows even when they're in opposition to what he's been taught. They're both characters who think beyond their training and circumstance, great companions on an interesting quest.
There is a slow-developing romance here which balances the plot about 50/50. Some might find it overpowering, but for me it just served to further the character development. It was surprising near the end but also funny. Campbell just wrote these characters really, really well.
The plot is interesting as the two main characters explore themes of questioning the status quo and searching out the real villains. In some ways the world itself is the villain; certainly the political situation is. It's intricate enough to keep going at a good pace without the need for unnecessary devices.
On audio the book is narrated by MacLeod Andrews. He is simply stellar - I cannot rave enough about how incredibly he brings these characters to life. The book would have been good on its own, but Andrews really brought it over the top. His ability to distinguish each voice with its own personality was amazing.
This series is one I will be re-reading (re-listening) in the future. It is great entertainment at its finest. Campbell is a well-established sci-fi and fantasy writer and this foray into YA is spectacular. Bravo!
January 16, 2015
I was a little apprehensive when approaching this book. John G. Hemry, (A.K.A. Jack Campbell) is one of the current foremost writers of Military Science Fiction. And here he has a book of Fantasy, and not only that, it is an Audible, audiobook exclusive, meaning it likely didn't pass through his publisher, or usual editor. I wasn't really all that sure what to think when I first heard about this one. Sure, he's a pretty decent Sci-fi guy, and I do own every book he's ever published, but Fantasy is a different beast entirely. Though Science Fiction and Fantasy share many similar elements, are oftentimes mixed ala Star Wars, and often confused by many to be the same thing, they are very different from each other. And my experience with authors writing outside of their comfort zone has not been a pleasant one thus far.
Luckily, the book was actually pretty good. It has an interesting premise, both magic and technology exist within the same world, and the two guilds responsible for them are locked in something of a cold war with each other. It takes place in a pretty interesting world, the magic and technology are both pretty well thought out, and the characters are likeable and entertaining. All of Campbell's books sort of unofficially take place in the same universe, just at different time periods, and that appears to also be true of this one. The mystery behind the world, and people "coming from the stars" is pretty well woven into the mythos of the world in such a way that you can see how it might be connected in some distant way to his other books.
Anyway, Alain is a Mage. Mari is a Mechanic. He's a little bit Country. She's a little bit Rock'n'roll. They're brought together by circumstance and forced to work together to escape a series of unfortunate events. And that's about all there is to the plot. Sure it's a little simplistic and cliche, and young romance as written by a retired military man does leave something to be desired, but I enjoyed it. The whole concept might have been a little better served in the hands of an author a little more familiar with what's been going on in the Fantasy Genre over the last 30 years or so, but outdated tropes are tropes for a reason, because they work in a story, when you get right down to it, no matter how cliche they may have become now-a-days.
It was a fun story with fun characters, and looks to be setting up for a whole series. I'm interested to see where it goes in the future.
Luckily, the book was actually pretty good. It has an interesting premise, both magic and technology exist within the same world, and the two guilds responsible for them are locked in something of a cold war with each other. It takes place in a pretty interesting world, the magic and technology are both pretty well thought out, and the characters are likeable and entertaining. All of Campbell's books sort of unofficially take place in the same universe, just at different time periods, and that appears to also be true of this one. The mystery behind the world, and people "coming from the stars" is pretty well woven into the mythos of the world in such a way that you can see how it might be connected in some distant way to his other books.
Anyway, Alain is a Mage. Mari is a Mechanic. He's a little bit Country. She's a little bit Rock'n'roll. They're brought together by circumstance and forced to work together to escape a series of unfortunate events. And that's about all there is to the plot. Sure it's a little simplistic and cliche, and young romance as written by a retired military man does leave something to be desired, but I enjoyed it. The whole concept might have been a little better served in the hands of an author a little more familiar with what's been going on in the Fantasy Genre over the last 30 years or so, but outdated tropes are tropes for a reason, because they work in a story, when you get right down to it, no matter how cliche they may have become now-a-days.
It was a fun story with fun characters, and looks to be setting up for a whole series. I'm interested to see where it goes in the future.
January 7, 2020
Picked these up as Audible kept on recommending them to me whenever I went to the store, and although I had some quibbles with it, I generally enjoy the series and find it's a super easy one to binge-read. The first book is a little frustrating as we follow a character called Alain who is basically emotionless and has to re-learn everything. I found this tiresome, but thankfully with the more interesting personality of Mari this eventually started to get better.
We follow Alain, a mage, and Mari, a Mechanic, in a world where the two are rivals and they have nothing to do with one another. Alain is charged to accompany a caravan to safety on his first mission, Mari is tasked with going to a new city to fix a machine with hers. They are together but do not realise it until they are attacked and have to flee together to safety, but who would ever think a Mechanic and a Mage could get along long enough to survive...?
This world has both science and magic, and each is mysterious to those who practise the other. I enjoyed the blend of the systems and the clash of the two Guilds which so vehemently oppose one another. I think the set up of the world with this political rivalry makes for a good story.
On the whole, once you get past Alain's annoying quirks this is a fun and quick read. I have read book 2 since and it's getting to be a more developed story as it goes too. 3*s.
We follow Alain, a mage, and Mari, a Mechanic, in a world where the two are rivals and they have nothing to do with one another. Alain is charged to accompany a caravan to safety on his first mission, Mari is tasked with going to a new city to fix a machine with hers. They are together but do not realise it until they are attacked and have to flee together to safety, but who would ever think a Mechanic and a Mage could get along long enough to survive...?
This world has both science and magic, and each is mysterious to those who practise the other. I enjoyed the blend of the systems and the clash of the two Guilds which so vehemently oppose one another. I think the set up of the world with this political rivalry makes for a good story.
On the whole, once you get past Alain's annoying quirks this is a fun and quick read. I have read book 2 since and it's getting to be a more developed story as it goes too. 3*s.
September 6, 2015
Za sada vrlo fina YA fantazijska knjiga. Interesantan sve sa mesavinom steampunk-a i magija sa dve velike frakcije koje kontrolisu svet ali su stalnoj mrznji medjusobno. Imamo galvne likove tinejdzere koji pripadaju razlicitim frakcijama ali budu primorani da rade zajedno sto ih naravno zblizi. Skoro kao Romeo i Julija ali na srecu romansa ima malo drugaciju ulogu. Sami likovi su interesantni mada Alain (kako bi se ovo i izgovaralo) ume da nervira sa svojim neshvatanjem emocija kroz veci deo knjige. Ima smisla ali opet me jako nervira povremeno.
Nije knjiga koju bih ocekivao od pisca Izgubljene flote ali drzi paznju i kada ima akcije odlicno je opisana. U svakom slucaju joj pruzite sansu ako vas interesuje YA fantazija.
Nije knjiga koju bih ocekivao od pisca Izgubljene flote ali drzi paznju i kada ima akcije odlicno je opisana. U svakom slucaju joj pruzite sansu ako vas interesuje YA fantazija.
April 24, 2015
Thank you Netgalley, and Jabberwocky. I really enjoyed this one! With its rich world building, and complex characters it was a great book to take my time with.
I really liked the main characters Alain and Mari, they may be young in years, but life has aged them, especially Alain.
The world has three different castes, Mages, Mechanics, and Commons. Mages in this are interesting. They deny reality; everything is an illusion, and everyone a shadow. So you can just imagine what that power trip means for the Commons.
Alain is the youngest Mage in history at seventeen, and on his first mission for the Mage Guild. This is where he meets Mari, the youngest Master Mechanic in history. I was pleasantly surprised that there was no insta-love here, and rightly so because Alain is so emotionally shut off there would be no way he could feel anything. I mean at this point he doesn’t know what the word help means; it’s been beat out of him.
So it takes quite a while for the romance in this to build. Mari finally thinks that maybe, but maybe she has feeling for him at sixty percent, and at that point the connection felt real. The romance works, it doesn’t come off as a puppy love.
I also love the running joke of Mari’s sarcasm, and Alain trying to understand it.
Also Alain’s use of logic to do what he wants to do is great. I really had fun with these characters and can’t wait to read the next installment. I hope it comes out in eBook format!!
I received this book from Netgalley in trade for an honest review.
I really liked the main characters Alain and Mari, they may be young in years, but life has aged them, especially Alain.
The world has three different castes, Mages, Mechanics, and Commons. Mages in this are interesting. They deny reality; everything is an illusion, and everyone a shadow. So you can just imagine what that power trip means for the Commons.
Alain is the youngest Mage in history at seventeen, and on his first mission for the Mage Guild. This is where he meets Mari, the youngest Master Mechanic in history. I was pleasantly surprised that there was no insta-love here, and rightly so because Alain is so emotionally shut off there would be no way he could feel anything. I mean at this point he doesn’t know what the word help means; it’s been beat out of him.
So it takes quite a while for the romance in this to build. Mari finally thinks that maybe, but maybe she has feeling for him at sixty percent, and at that point the connection felt real. The romance works, it doesn’t come off as a puppy love.
I also love the running joke of Mari’s sarcasm, and Alain trying to understand it.
Also Alain’s use of logic to do what he wants to do is great. I really had fun with these characters and can’t wait to read the next installment. I hope it comes out in eBook format!!
I received this book from Netgalley in trade for an honest review.
December 19, 2015
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
I had a mixed reaction to this book. On the one hand, really enjoyed the world building, the concepts of mages and mechanics. On the other hand, I couldn't stand the YA aspect. Mari had this ongoing internal dialogue that almost drove me to quit the book on more than one occasion. It was all about the "impossible" teeny bopper romance angle. The actual fantasy story was interesting but I don't know if the characters can pull me back to check out further books in the series.
I liked the narrator, Macleod Andrews, he did a competent job.
I had a mixed reaction to this book. On the one hand, really enjoyed the world building, the concepts of mages and mechanics. On the other hand, I couldn't stand the YA aspect. Mari had this ongoing internal dialogue that almost drove me to quit the book on more than one occasion. It was all about the "impossible" teeny bopper romance angle. The actual fantasy story was interesting but I don't know if the characters can pull me back to check out further books in the series.
I liked the narrator, Macleod Andrews, he did a competent job.
December 4, 2014
Summary:
Caliber pulls out his chair and sits down. “Well, I’ll start by saying that Jack Campbell is my favorite living author. So I was a little biased going in, and Campbell didn’t disappoint me. The next book is coming out Feb 10th and I’m already counting down the days. Which for the record is sixty-seven days.”
“Before you dive into the story,” Sigrun interrupts Caliber. “I think we need to mention that this is currently exclusively an audiobook. I’m not sure if anyone has ever done this before so it will be interesting to see how that works out for Jack.”
“Good point,” Caliber says. “This book takes place in a steampunk fantasy world and follows two character. Alain the youngest member of the mages guild, and Mari the youngest member of the mechanics guild. Normally, the two guilds don’t work together or even interact with each other, but Alain and Mari are forced to work together to survive. In so doing they find out that their guilds have been hiding a lot from them and they seek to uncover the truth about their world.”
Plot:
“As a veteran of five other series, Jack knows how to plot out a novel amazingly,” James says. “It’s been a while since I read or in this case listened to a book that was this well plotted out and flowed so smoothly. The character development progressed at the same pace as the story, and everything just came together great.”
“I also loved how well Jack dropped hints about the world,” Sigrun said. “Some authors find the need to sit a character down and have them asks questions to another about the world, but Jack does an amazing job of slowly introducing the world. And the foreshadowing for the rest of the series is amazing!”
“I did love this book,” Maggie says, “but there was just one thing in it that drives me crazy. Similar to my gripes about werewolves, vamps, and zombies, I am tired of prophecies! That is so overdone these days. It really didn’t hurt the book for me, I just wanted to rant about it though.”
Read the rest at the website http://multiversebookstorereviews.wor...
Caliber pulls out his chair and sits down. “Well, I’ll start by saying that Jack Campbell is my favorite living author. So I was a little biased going in, and Campbell didn’t disappoint me. The next book is coming out Feb 10th and I’m already counting down the days. Which for the record is sixty-seven days.”
“Before you dive into the story,” Sigrun interrupts Caliber. “I think we need to mention that this is currently exclusively an audiobook. I’m not sure if anyone has ever done this before so it will be interesting to see how that works out for Jack.”
“Good point,” Caliber says. “This book takes place in a steampunk fantasy world and follows two character. Alain the youngest member of the mages guild, and Mari the youngest member of the mechanics guild. Normally, the two guilds don’t work together or even interact with each other, but Alain and Mari are forced to work together to survive. In so doing they find out that their guilds have been hiding a lot from them and they seek to uncover the truth about their world.”
Plot:
“As a veteran of five other series, Jack knows how to plot out a novel amazingly,” James says. “It’s been a while since I read or in this case listened to a book that was this well plotted out and flowed so smoothly. The character development progressed at the same pace as the story, and everything just came together great.”
“I also loved how well Jack dropped hints about the world,” Sigrun said. “Some authors find the need to sit a character down and have them asks questions to another about the world, but Jack does an amazing job of slowly introducing the world. And the foreshadowing for the rest of the series is amazing!”
“I did love this book,” Maggie says, “but there was just one thing in it that drives me crazy. Similar to my gripes about werewolves, vamps, and zombies, I am tired of prophecies! That is so overdone these days. It really didn’t hurt the book for me, I just wanted to rant about it though.”
Read the rest at the website http://multiversebookstorereviews.wor...
April 16, 2015
I really like the concept for this story – there are two different Guilds, one dedicated to Mechanics, the other to Mages. They don’t much like each other, which sets the stage for a lot of conflict. Add to that the mention of dragons in the title, and I knew this was a book I was interested in reading.
I especially liked the Mages vs. Mechanics idea because it was an opportunity to explore the conflicting concepts magic vs. science. Campbell did a great job integrating the two ideas into a single world, embracing that both were possible depending on your perception of how the world works. It felt like a solid framework to build from, and was probably my favorite element of the story.
However, as much as I liked the concept, there were a few things about how they were executed that I did not enjoy.
For example, we learned about this framework for the world and how Mechanics and Mages see things differently through dialogue… and a lot of it. Endless pages of the Mechanic explaining how the Mechanics work, the Mage explaining how the Mages work, both of them explaining to other people why they made the choices they did. Then each would turn around and have a mental conversation with himself/herself to rationalizing what they just had explained to them. It was tedious. It also didn’t leave a lot of room for plot-advancement aside from their very thoroughly explored internal growth.
And it wasn’t even always that they were explaining stuff, but rather what they were explaining that put me off. Let me explain ;) – the Mages believe emotion is a weakness, so they suppress all of the things that make them human. But instead of just having the Mage fight not to act on certain emotions and concepts, the author chose to have him not be aware of those concepts altogether, which means the reader has to endure the Mechanic explaining to the Mage what words like “help,” “friendship,” and even “taste” literally mean. Now, I definitely don’t mind when authors take time to explain things to the readers, but they have to be things that don’t exist in our world that actually require explanation. Even if the Mages suppressed certain emotions out of their students, you have to start with at least a semi-understanding of the concept before it can be eradicated, right? In any case, I guess I just didn’t appreciate how it was written, and could see how a different approach might have worked better.
Furthermore, it made the Mage in question come across a little simple and juvenile which meant I had a difficult time taking him seriously. The Mechanic, on the other hand, was a really interesting character and I found myself enjoying her passages the most (although that could be because the plot only seemed to advance under her perspective). It’s also worth mentioning that the end half was better than the first half (because they stopped explaining stuff to each other quite as often), which is why my rating is a bit higher than it was going to be.
Overall, I did not enjoy this book nearly as much as I wanted to. The great concept that got me to pick up the book in the first place was swallowed by needless repetition and dialogue. This is a shame because I finished the book still very interested in the basic idea behind it but lacking the patience to see how it will develop. I might continue on eventually, but it will be a hard sell. Despite my objections, I might actually still recommend it, especially to readers who don’t mind repetition (If you read The Sword of Truth series without once thinking “I’m really getting tired of hearing about the ‘Pristinely Ungifted,'” or any of the other of Goodkind’s repetitive concepts, this might be an excellent series for you). Like I said, the premise really was a good one).
I especially liked the Mages vs. Mechanics idea because it was an opportunity to explore the conflicting concepts magic vs. science. Campbell did a great job integrating the two ideas into a single world, embracing that both were possible depending on your perception of how the world works. It felt like a solid framework to build from, and was probably my favorite element of the story.
However, as much as I liked the concept, there were a few things about how they were executed that I did not enjoy.
For example, we learned about this framework for the world and how Mechanics and Mages see things differently through dialogue… and a lot of it. Endless pages of the Mechanic explaining how the Mechanics work, the Mage explaining how the Mages work, both of them explaining to other people why they made the choices they did. Then each would turn around and have a mental conversation with himself/herself to rationalizing what they just had explained to them. It was tedious. It also didn’t leave a lot of room for plot-advancement aside from their very thoroughly explored internal growth.
And it wasn’t even always that they were explaining stuff, but rather what they were explaining that put me off. Let me explain ;) – the Mages believe emotion is a weakness, so they suppress all of the things that make them human. But instead of just having the Mage fight not to act on certain emotions and concepts, the author chose to have him not be aware of those concepts altogether, which means the reader has to endure the Mechanic explaining to the Mage what words like “help,” “friendship,” and even “taste” literally mean. Now, I definitely don’t mind when authors take time to explain things to the readers, but they have to be things that don’t exist in our world that actually require explanation. Even if the Mages suppressed certain emotions out of their students, you have to start with at least a semi-understanding of the concept before it can be eradicated, right? In any case, I guess I just didn’t appreciate how it was written, and could see how a different approach might have worked better.
Furthermore, it made the Mage in question come across a little simple and juvenile which meant I had a difficult time taking him seriously. The Mechanic, on the other hand, was a really interesting character and I found myself enjoying her passages the most (although that could be because the plot only seemed to advance under her perspective). It’s also worth mentioning that the end half was better than the first half (because they stopped explaining stuff to each other quite as often), which is why my rating is a bit higher than it was going to be.
Overall, I did not enjoy this book nearly as much as I wanted to. The great concept that got me to pick up the book in the first place was swallowed by needless repetition and dialogue. This is a shame because I finished the book still very interested in the basic idea behind it but lacking the patience to see how it will develop. I might continue on eventually, but it will be a hard sell. Despite my objections, I might actually still recommend it, especially to readers who don’t mind repetition (If you read The Sword of Truth series without once thinking “I’m really getting tired of hearing about the ‘Pristinely Ungifted,'” or any of the other of Goodkind’s repetitive concepts, this might be an excellent series for you). Like I said, the premise really was a good one).
November 21, 2025
Two Guilds rule the known world of Alain and Mari, the Mages (aka Magic users) and the Mechanics (aka Machine users). But things are about to change when the two aspiring upstarts shake the foundation of the very fabric of each society when their worlds collide.
Both young characters show bravery and the ability to think beyond everything they were taught. They must come together to solve the crumbing foundations of their society and solve the issues plaguing the “Common” folk. Mari is a brilliant and strong character that had a bit too many inner meanderings for my taste. Alain is trying to rediscover his humanity that was beat out of him to mold him into the Mage he has become. Wiped of most of his personality, Campbell does capture that essence in Alain's character. He too, has a quite a bit of inner dialog as well.
The Dragons of Dorcastle was an imaginative, interesting and enjoyable read, 3.5 Stars. I look forward to read onto The Hidden Masters book 2 in this series.
I was given an ebook to review for the audio book. This review is purely on the story and not the audio reading.
I received this copy of The Dragons of Dorcastle from Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc. in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication April 3, 2015.
Both young characters show bravery and the ability to think beyond everything they were taught. They must come together to solve the crumbing foundations of their society and solve the issues plaguing the “Common” folk. Mari is a brilliant and strong character that had a bit too many inner meanderings for my taste. Alain is trying to rediscover his humanity that was beat out of him to mold him into the Mage he has become. Wiped of most of his personality, Campbell does capture that essence in Alain's character. He too, has a quite a bit of inner dialog as well.
The Dragons of Dorcastle was an imaginative, interesting and enjoyable read, 3.5 Stars. I look forward to read onto The Hidden Masters book 2 in this series.
I was given an ebook to review for the audio book. This review is purely on the story and not the audio reading.
I received this copy of The Dragons of Dorcastle from Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc. in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication April 3, 2015.
October 30, 2021
This is a weird, and therefore really interesting mix of what feels like steampunk and fantasy!
There are mechanics who build all kinds of machines, including rifles, and there are mages who believe the whole world is an illusion they can shape (that is how they do magic). Both guilds believe the other one is just doing "tricks" and not actually really able of doing what they claim. Then there are the poor commoners, who are worthless to either of the powerful guilds.
The story is about the youngest ever mage and master mechanic, who should hate each other, but fate throws them a curve ball, so they need to stick together for a while. The friction between the guilds and therefore the main characters was really interesting to follow! I quite liked them both.
This story felt YA to me, and I'd recommend it for ages 13+ or adult readers who want something light and entertaining. I found the developing love story (mostly only thoughts, so not too much of the plot) a bit boring and would have liked it better if it stayed a platonic friendship.
This is only the starting point for a bigger series, so we'll see the two main characters again in later books. I for one had a lot of fun, and think I will continue with the series someday!
There are mechanics who build all kinds of machines, including rifles, and there are mages who believe the whole world is an illusion they can shape (that is how they do magic). Both guilds believe the other one is just doing "tricks" and not actually really able of doing what they claim. Then there are the poor commoners, who are worthless to either of the powerful guilds.
The story is about the youngest ever mage and master mechanic, who should hate each other, but fate throws them a curve ball, so they need to stick together for a while. The friction between the guilds and therefore the main characters was really interesting to follow! I quite liked them both.
This story felt YA to me, and I'd recommend it for ages 13+ or adult readers who want something light and entertaining. I found the developing love story (mostly only thoughts, so not too much of the plot) a bit boring and would have liked it better if it stayed a platonic friendship.
This is only the starting point for a bigger series, so we'll see the two main characters again in later books. I for one had a lot of fun, and think I will continue with the series someday!
November 28, 2016
What a fun steampunk series. Following the mage and mechanic and learn more about their guilds and training had me glued to my headphones. Watching the two question their knowledge and discover their feelings for each other is the majority of the book and also the most fun about it. The world itself at this moment leaves a lot of questions yet to be answered but that just leaves more to discover in the future.
The narration was so well done that I recommend this to anyone who wants to have some fun fantasy.
The narration was so well done that I recommend this to anyone who wants to have some fun fantasy.
July 21, 2017
This was a wonderful start to this fantasy/steampunk series. It was very much a set-up book. The titled dragons in question do not even show up until 70% through the story. This could have easily felt shallow, but that 70% of the book was full of wonderful character set up and world development.
I have already put the second book in the series on reserve at my local library.
I have already put the second book in the series on reserve at my local library.
January 17, 2020
DNF - too juvenile for me.
August 15, 2016
The dragons of dorcastle book Review:
Death is not reality, it is but the passing from one dream to another.
My first steampunk book and it's a 2014 production so it's safe to say that it's modern fantasy and we will take a brief tour using our critic googles.
PLOT: This book is about a Mage who was supposed to deliver a package in a caravan yet he was assaulted, during which a mechanic girl ( from the opposing faction) jumped to save his life and the story goes on.
Ps. The plot didn't include any plot twist or any tactile build up that might cause an exquisite ending.
The plot was lacking in many ways whether it was Depth and complexity or whether it was the Drive ( when I red, I didn't get that urge/drive that made me want to continue on reading.)
Events where as stale as still water to me and I honestly continued the book for 3 reasons:
1- I bought the audiobook. 2- The Narrator was a Genre defining narrator. 3- I thought that this is Modern Epic fantasy and that was an Epic mistake.
Characters:
The Author introduced only two characters: Alaine the Mage and Mari the Master mechanic. The lack of characters has lead to minimal interactions in the book as well as a lacking in variety of actions in the scenes.
The Mage was literally devoid of any emotions (which I understand as a specific setting of this fantasy book) and Mari's job was to try to fix that in the high-schoolish manner which was cute in reading but lacking in the literary sense.
The Characters were in no sense captivating or making me want to remember them.
Diction and prose:
The writing Style is one of the major affecting elements in the fantasy genre and the language used ( whether it's medieval or old in any sense ) can give an aesthetic taste to the book. ( I know that it's a SteamPunk book but still counts as a fantasy so the rule applies)
This book However used Creative writing(simple English) colored with the theme of. " The Major usage of the Monologues "
The excessive usage of the monologues made this book one of the most boring books that I have ever came across for it made me feel stupid and it was as if the author had imaged that all readers are so stupid to the point of needing an explanation of literally every feeling.
Ps the usage of the monologues in a reduced manner for the Mage can give a specific taste but the excessive use of the method, even for Mari was unjustified.
Action: None of the action scenes were really interesting or awesome except the fact that in the lore of this book, it was introduced that in the mages' teachings, everything is an illusion, thus casting spells is just imagining an illusion and Fashioning it into reality.
Book title: there was no importance or actual mention of any dragons except towards the end and it wasn't fully understandable. It was even short in a sense, for a reader to understand.
The ending:
Not the actual ending but from my perception ( spoiler ) The entire book was personally rated below average but the end scene restored one more star giving it 2/5 stars for the fact that not only did the Mage and the Mechanic Crushed and fell in love, but had to part ways without saying anything to each other to keep each other alive from the dangers of each of the opposing Faction's assaults.
Finally, some personal notes and quotes:
*One interesting thing the author did was not introduce any new religion or economical system nor any new races, keeping things extremely simple and focusing only on the political dispute between the Mage and the Mechanics guild, YET TO WHAT AVAIL ? Things were still dull and stale as a stupid rock.
Even not a mention of gods!
** I can see a lot of setting up happening for the upcoming books and a lot of foreshadowing in this one but I wouldn't continue this one let alone pick up the next no matter how good it is.
This book taught me:
1- It's ok to As Questions no matter how un-expected or no matter how much they are not supposed to be asked.
2- It's ok to be different.
3- It's ok to accept others' and their opposing opinions.
4- We are not always right.
*** The thing that I hated the most was that Mari was constructing Alaine's emotions from scratch and that was just stupid!
**** The Narrator's performance (Audio-book) started off in an extremely bad manner but towards the end he started getting the hang of voice acting and I liked him ( His voice tone however was truly remarkable and Epic in a true sense.)
" He was rewarded by one of her smiles."
This is as detailed as it gets and thank you my dear readers for your lovely time and effort reading my review <3. Love you all and have a wonderful day.
A final note: in my mind, I felt that the Mages were a projection of the real world Politicians, and the Mechanics were a projection of the real life Industrialists.
- The entire series was written within 3 years which tells us that the author's goals are purely commercial.
__________________________________________________
This book deserved a Solid one star and the only reason I continued is cuz I bought the Audio book.
I have a strange need to continue the series even though the plot is lacking and depraved of a drive!
I will attach a detailed review Shortly, in the upcoming days.
ps. 2 books, 2 bumpy journeys, with excellent Endings (Cliff-hangers) and a yearning for more. Why do you make an entire book below average with such an exquisite ending? you preach for your reader's suffering?
Death is not reality, it is but the passing from one dream to another.
My first steampunk book and it's a 2014 production so it's safe to say that it's modern fantasy and we will take a brief tour using our critic googles.
PLOT: This book is about a Mage who was supposed to deliver a package in a caravan yet he was assaulted, during which a mechanic girl ( from the opposing faction) jumped to save his life and the story goes on.
Ps. The plot didn't include any plot twist or any tactile build up that might cause an exquisite ending.
The plot was lacking in many ways whether it was Depth and complexity or whether it was the Drive ( when I red, I didn't get that urge/drive that made me want to continue on reading.)
Events where as stale as still water to me and I honestly continued the book for 3 reasons:
1- I bought the audiobook. 2- The Narrator was a Genre defining narrator. 3- I thought that this is Modern Epic fantasy and that was an Epic mistake.
Characters:
The Author introduced only two characters: Alaine the Mage and Mari the Master mechanic. The lack of characters has lead to minimal interactions in the book as well as a lacking in variety of actions in the scenes.
The Mage was literally devoid of any emotions (which I understand as a specific setting of this fantasy book) and Mari's job was to try to fix that in the high-schoolish manner which was cute in reading but lacking in the literary sense.
The Characters were in no sense captivating or making me want to remember them.
Diction and prose:
The writing Style is one of the major affecting elements in the fantasy genre and the language used ( whether it's medieval or old in any sense ) can give an aesthetic taste to the book. ( I know that it's a SteamPunk book but still counts as a fantasy so the rule applies)
This book However used Creative writing(simple English) colored with the theme of. " The Major usage of the Monologues "
The excessive usage of the monologues made this book one of the most boring books that I have ever came across for it made me feel stupid and it was as if the author had imaged that all readers are so stupid to the point of needing an explanation of literally every feeling.
Ps the usage of the monologues in a reduced manner for the Mage can give a specific taste but the excessive use of the method, even for Mari was unjustified.
Action: None of the action scenes were really interesting or awesome except the fact that in the lore of this book, it was introduced that in the mages' teachings, everything is an illusion, thus casting spells is just imagining an illusion and Fashioning it into reality.
Book title: there was no importance or actual mention of any dragons except towards the end and it wasn't fully understandable. It was even short in a sense, for a reader to understand.
The ending:
Not the actual ending but from my perception ( spoiler ) The entire book was personally rated below average but the end scene restored one more star giving it 2/5 stars for the fact that not only did the Mage and the Mechanic Crushed and fell in love, but had to part ways without saying anything to each other to keep each other alive from the dangers of each of the opposing Faction's assaults.
Finally, some personal notes and quotes:
*One interesting thing the author did was not introduce any new religion or economical system nor any new races, keeping things extremely simple and focusing only on the political dispute between the Mage and the Mechanics guild, YET TO WHAT AVAIL ? Things were still dull and stale as a stupid rock.
Even not a mention of gods!
** I can see a lot of setting up happening for the upcoming books and a lot of foreshadowing in this one but I wouldn't continue this one let alone pick up the next no matter how good it is.
This book taught me:
1- It's ok to As Questions no matter how un-expected or no matter how much they are not supposed to be asked.
2- It's ok to be different.
3- It's ok to accept others' and their opposing opinions.
4- We are not always right.
*** The thing that I hated the most was that Mari was constructing Alaine's emotions from scratch and that was just stupid!
**** The Narrator's performance (Audio-book) started off in an extremely bad manner but towards the end he started getting the hang of voice acting and I liked him ( His voice tone however was truly remarkable and Epic in a true sense.)
" He was rewarded by one of her smiles."
This is as detailed as it gets and thank you my dear readers for your lovely time and effort reading my review <3. Love you all and have a wonderful day.
A final note: in my mind, I felt that the Mages were a projection of the real world Politicians, and the Mechanics were a projection of the real life Industrialists.
- The entire series was written within 3 years which tells us that the author's goals are purely commercial.
__________________________________________________
This book deserved a Solid one star and the only reason I continued is cuz I bought the Audio book.
I have a strange need to continue the series even though the plot is lacking and depraved of a drive!
I will attach a detailed review Shortly, in the upcoming days.
ps. 2 books, 2 bumpy journeys, with excellent Endings (Cliff-hangers) and a yearning for more. Why do you make an entire book below average with such an exquisite ending? you preach for your reader's suffering?
January 12, 2015
3.5*
English review: SOON to be translated.
Portuguese review:
Estava um dia navegando pelo Audible atrás de um novo audio livro pra escutar enquanto e eu vi um anúncio dessa série que vai ser reproduzida apenas em formato de audiobook e fiquei curiosa para saber mais da história depois dos reviews e de ouvir um sample do livro.
Esse livro é o primeiro de uma série de fantasia épica chamada The Pillars of Reality, que é baseada em um universo chamado Dematr, onde tem basicamente dois clãs rivais que comandam as cidades: os mecânicos, que são pessoas que se utilizam de máquinas e armamento para todas as suas atividades; e os magos, que acreditam que tudo seja fruto de uma ilusão, onde nada é verdadeiro e tudo pode ser manipulado de uma forma que é, basicamente, a força do pensamento, mudando aquela realidade. Mas agora, uma enorme tempestade está chegando para destruir tudo aquilo que foi construído pelos humanos, e apenas uma pessoa pode evitar esses eventos de acontecerem.
Nós temos o ponto de vista de dois personagens: Mari, que é uma jovem mestre mecânica que passou grande parte da sua vida estudando locomotivas e outros aparelhos para o seu clã; e Alain, um dos magos mais jovens a aprender como mudar o mundo que vê apenas pelo controle da mente. Ambos aprendem que os trabalhos do clã rival não passam de fraudes e, depois de terem a caravana onde estão destruída, eles começam a descobrir o quanto da verdade que é escondida deles. É um livro que tem um enorme potencial para ser uma série bem bacana, mas tiveram algumas coisas que me incomodaram nele.
Uma das primeiras coisas que eu reparei enquanto escutava esta história é que ambos os personagens sofrem com preconceitos por causa de seus comportamentos e pensamentos, sendo considerados imaturos por causa de sua idade – já que ambos os personagens tem 17 anos – e isso foi uma das coisas que mais me incomodou durante todo o livro, mas imagino que isso seja criado pelo autor justamente com essa intenção de apresentar esse preconceito que acontece nos dias atuais em uma literatura fantástica.
Muitas coisas do sistema dos clãs é explicado ao longo da história, mas eu fiquei muito confusa de acordo com os pensamentos dos mecânicos, já que nós aprendemos muito mais sobre os magos em si, quero ver como que vai ser isso ao longo dessa série. E eu também acho que a história se empurrou muito para chegar no ponto onde inclusive, leva o título desse livro, e teve uma resolução rápida demais.
Outra coisa que vale a pena mencionar é que se você não gosta de romance em livros desse gênero, eu não recomendo a leitura dessa série. Esse livro foi extremamente focado no romance frustrado dos dois personagens principais, que gostam de si, mas que por um lado (Mari) sabe que um romance entre pessoas de clãs diferentes não pode acontecer, e por outro (Alain), mal consegue se expressar em absolutamente nada.
De forma geral é uma leitura bem interessante, mas eu não sei se continuarei com essa série por causa dos problemas que eu falei anteriormente. Se você está a procura de uma fantasia com elementos steampunk que tenha romance, pode ser o livro pra você, mas pra mim foi tudo um pouco exagerado demais.
English review: SOON to be translated.
Portuguese review:
Estava um dia navegando pelo Audible atrás de um novo audio livro pra escutar enquanto e eu vi um anúncio dessa série que vai ser reproduzida apenas em formato de audiobook e fiquei curiosa para saber mais da história depois dos reviews e de ouvir um sample do livro.
Esse livro é o primeiro de uma série de fantasia épica chamada The Pillars of Reality, que é baseada em um universo chamado Dematr, onde tem basicamente dois clãs rivais que comandam as cidades: os mecânicos, que são pessoas que se utilizam de máquinas e armamento para todas as suas atividades; e os magos, que acreditam que tudo seja fruto de uma ilusão, onde nada é verdadeiro e tudo pode ser manipulado de uma forma que é, basicamente, a força do pensamento, mudando aquela realidade. Mas agora, uma enorme tempestade está chegando para destruir tudo aquilo que foi construído pelos humanos, e apenas uma pessoa pode evitar esses eventos de acontecerem.
Nós temos o ponto de vista de dois personagens: Mari, que é uma jovem mestre mecânica que passou grande parte da sua vida estudando locomotivas e outros aparelhos para o seu clã; e Alain, um dos magos mais jovens a aprender como mudar o mundo que vê apenas pelo controle da mente. Ambos aprendem que os trabalhos do clã rival não passam de fraudes e, depois de terem a caravana onde estão destruída, eles começam a descobrir o quanto da verdade que é escondida deles. É um livro que tem um enorme potencial para ser uma série bem bacana, mas tiveram algumas coisas que me incomodaram nele.
Uma das primeiras coisas que eu reparei enquanto escutava esta história é que ambos os personagens sofrem com preconceitos por causa de seus comportamentos e pensamentos, sendo considerados imaturos por causa de sua idade – já que ambos os personagens tem 17 anos – e isso foi uma das coisas que mais me incomodou durante todo o livro, mas imagino que isso seja criado pelo autor justamente com essa intenção de apresentar esse preconceito que acontece nos dias atuais em uma literatura fantástica.
Muitas coisas do sistema dos clãs é explicado ao longo da história, mas eu fiquei muito confusa de acordo com os pensamentos dos mecânicos, já que nós aprendemos muito mais sobre os magos em si, quero ver como que vai ser isso ao longo dessa série. E eu também acho que a história se empurrou muito para chegar no ponto onde inclusive, leva o título desse livro, e teve uma resolução rápida demais.
Outra coisa que vale a pena mencionar é que se você não gosta de romance em livros desse gênero, eu não recomendo a leitura dessa série. Esse livro foi extremamente focado no romance frustrado dos dois personagens principais, que gostam de si, mas que por um lado (Mari) sabe que um romance entre pessoas de clãs diferentes não pode acontecer, e por outro (Alain), mal consegue se expressar em absolutamente nada.
De forma geral é uma leitura bem interessante, mas eu não sei se continuarei com essa série por causa dos problemas que eu falei anteriormente. Se você está a procura de uma fantasia com elementos steampunk que tenha romance, pode ser o livro pra você, mas pra mim foi tudo um pouco exagerado demais.
November 11, 2016
Voici le premier tome d'une nouvelle série de Jack Campbell, plus connu chez nous pour la série La flotte perdue (que je n'ai pas lu). Premier contact avec cet auteur donc.
Par contre, quand je dis nouvelle série, je devrai préciser : en France, puisque aux États-Unis elle compte déjà six volumes (et je ne sais pas si elle est terminée ou non).
Il s'agit ici d'un récit de fantasy, se situant dans un monde dominé par deux guildes antagonistes : celle des mages, et celle des mécaniciens. Les deux corporations vivent chacune de leur art, magique pour les premiers, technique pour les seconds (qui maîtrisent tout de même la vapeur et l'électricité, et sont capables de fabriquer des armes à feu des téléphones et des ordinateurs !), et facturent leurs services à prix d'or auprès de ceux qu'ils appellent "les communs". Communs qui vivent dans la peur des mages et des mécaniciens, car les uns comme les autres les méprisent et profitent de leur ascendant pour les rabaisser en permanence.
Chaque guilde veille jalousement sur ses secrets et vit dans la haine de sa rivale, chaque apprenti étant éduqué dans l'idée que "ceux d'en face" sont des charlatans, toujours près à leur nuire.
Dans ce contexte, le récit va s'attarder sur deux jeunes héros, un mage et une mécanicienne, qui vont être amenés, pour survivre, à collaborer. Tout d'abord en but aux préjugés véhiculés par leurs guildes respectives, ils vont petit à petit s'apercevoir que tout ce qu'on leur a enseigné n'est peut-être pas à prendre pour argent comptant.
L'un comme l'autre sont de petits prodiges de leur guilde, et vont être la cible de la vindicte de leurs aînés qui les sente à même de remettre en cause l'ordre établi (ce qui s'avère être le cas).
L'écriture de Campbell est très prenante, très juste dans la personnalisation de ses deux héros et on suit leurs mésaventures respectives avec intérêt. Le cœur du récit s'attarde sur la relation de complicité puis d'amour qui s'établit entre les deux jeunes gens, et surtout sur tous les questionnements qui accompagne ce cheminement qui remet largement en cause toutes leurs certitudes.
Autre élément notable du récit, la manière habile dont Campbell joue des ignorances de ces deux personnages vis à vis de la guilde rivale. Entre une mécanicienne rationnelle qui peine à admettre les phénomènes magiques auxquels elle assiste et un mage dépassé par les appareils compliqués des mécaniciens et leur théorie sur le monde physique, leurs conversations communes sont de vrais bijoux, oscillant entre dialogues de sourd et émerveillement naïf.
La fin du récit laissant entrevoir une fumeuse histoire de prophétie impliquant la fin du monde (et surtout des guildes) et tournant autour de la mécanicienne n'est certes pas très originale (on a vu ça dans trouzmille autres cycles de fantasy), mais l'univers, lui, l'est. Les deux héros étant en outre très attachants, je lirai la suite de leurs aventures avec grand intérêt.
Par contre, quand je dis nouvelle série, je devrai préciser : en France, puisque aux États-Unis elle compte déjà six volumes (et je ne sais pas si elle est terminée ou non).
Il s'agit ici d'un récit de fantasy, se situant dans un monde dominé par deux guildes antagonistes : celle des mages, et celle des mécaniciens. Les deux corporations vivent chacune de leur art, magique pour les premiers, technique pour les seconds (qui maîtrisent tout de même la vapeur et l'électricité, et sont capables de fabriquer des armes à feu des téléphones et des ordinateurs !), et facturent leurs services à prix d'or auprès de ceux qu'ils appellent "les communs". Communs qui vivent dans la peur des mages et des mécaniciens, car les uns comme les autres les méprisent et profitent de leur ascendant pour les rabaisser en permanence.
Chaque guilde veille jalousement sur ses secrets et vit dans la haine de sa rivale, chaque apprenti étant éduqué dans l'idée que "ceux d'en face" sont des charlatans, toujours près à leur nuire.
Dans ce contexte, le récit va s'attarder sur deux jeunes héros, un mage et une mécanicienne, qui vont être amenés, pour survivre, à collaborer. Tout d'abord en but aux préjugés véhiculés par leurs guildes respectives, ils vont petit à petit s'apercevoir que tout ce qu'on leur a enseigné n'est peut-être pas à prendre pour argent comptant.
L'un comme l'autre sont de petits prodiges de leur guilde, et vont être la cible de la vindicte de leurs aînés qui les sente à même de remettre en cause l'ordre établi (ce qui s'avère être le cas).
L'écriture de Campbell est très prenante, très juste dans la personnalisation de ses deux héros et on suit leurs mésaventures respectives avec intérêt. Le cœur du récit s'attarde sur la relation de complicité puis d'amour qui s'établit entre les deux jeunes gens, et surtout sur tous les questionnements qui accompagne ce cheminement qui remet largement en cause toutes leurs certitudes.
Autre élément notable du récit, la manière habile dont Campbell joue des ignorances de ces deux personnages vis à vis de la guilde rivale. Entre une mécanicienne rationnelle qui peine à admettre les phénomènes magiques auxquels elle assiste et un mage dépassé par les appareils compliqués des mécaniciens et leur théorie sur le monde physique, leurs conversations communes sont de vrais bijoux, oscillant entre dialogues de sourd et émerveillement naïf.
La fin du récit laissant entrevoir une fumeuse histoire de prophétie impliquant la fin du monde (et surtout des guildes) et tournant autour de la mécanicienne n'est certes pas très originale (on a vu ça dans trouzmille autres cycles de fantasy), mais l'univers, lui, l'est. Les deux héros étant en outre très attachants, je lirai la suite de leurs aventures avec grand intérêt.
April 28, 2015
I give this book five out of five stars for keeping me up until the wee hours of morning, characters I was tied to almost instantly, and for a scene that made me laugh so hard tears came to my eyes. I can’t wait to read the second book in this series and I’m already anxious I’ll have to wait to read the third.
What I loved:
1) The characters. The goal oriented Mari was a female that was easy to root for. She was practical, capable, and views the world with an engineers mind. Alain is a young Mage savant, who has been taught to conceal all emotions. Both have been sent on their first assignments. Each has remarkable growth in the story, as young people in the major transition from school to the real world, and face learning how many of the ideals ingrained in them are false.
2) The plot, it shifted and changed allowing the satisfaction of guessing certain things and seeing them unfold, while uncovering added layers to a larger story. The world in which this story takes place is complex, but everything the reader is taught is relevant to the plot going forward.
3) The romance, was much better than I expected. I really liked how theirs was not a love at first sight kind of spark. They came together as two strangers, who under other circumstances would never have talked to one another. They built a friendship on mutual respect, and their attachment grew from there. It was a pleasant change of pace to read each protagonist reflecting on the others merit and quality of character; not just lusting about looks. I enjoyed how the obstacles impeding the two lovers are major problems and not trivial. Both Mari and Alain could loose their hard earned guild status or potentially be killed. Alain deals with overcoming his emotionless training, but risking the loss of all his power to do so. I ended the book hoping they would be together because they were a fun duo, and I sincerely enjoyed the friendship they shared. Alain’s Mage training to conceal all emotion, and how he espouses the values of his Guild made for some really comical moments with Mari. These were so funny I found myself laughing so hard I was crying.
What I loved:
1) The characters. The goal oriented Mari was a female that was easy to root for. She was practical, capable, and views the world with an engineers mind. Alain is a young Mage savant, who has been taught to conceal all emotions. Both have been sent on their first assignments. Each has remarkable growth in the story, as young people in the major transition from school to the real world, and face learning how many of the ideals ingrained in them are false.
2) The plot, it shifted and changed allowing the satisfaction of guessing certain things and seeing them unfold, while uncovering added layers to a larger story. The world in which this story takes place is complex, but everything the reader is taught is relevant to the plot going forward.
3) The romance, was much better than I expected. I really liked how theirs was not a love at first sight kind of spark. They came together as two strangers, who under other circumstances would never have talked to one another. They built a friendship on mutual respect, and their attachment grew from there. It was a pleasant change of pace to read each protagonist reflecting on the others merit and quality of character; not just lusting about looks. I enjoyed how the obstacles impeding the two lovers are major problems and not trivial. Both Mari and Alain could loose their hard earned guild status or potentially be killed. Alain deals with overcoming his emotionless training, but risking the loss of all his power to do so. I ended the book hoping they would be together because they were a fun duo, and I sincerely enjoyed the friendship they shared. Alain’s Mage training to conceal all emotion, and how he espouses the values of his Guild made for some really comical moments with Mari. These were so funny I found myself laughing so hard I was crying.
April 9, 2021
On the whole, YA Fantasy/SciFi novels with a strong romantic aspect are not my thing. In the end, the main plot takes a back seat to the pair making eyes at each other constantly.
That's not to say I don't enjoy Romance, just take a gander at my MyAnimeList account if you want proof of how much I do enjoy it. I just think that usually when something tries to be Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Romance, it usually fails at both. The make believe world ends up being boring, and the romantic relationship ends up being eye roll worthy.
In this case however, both are done rather well. The pair didn't have any love at first sight arrangement, no angst ridden dialogue of horny teens. It was just two people getting to know each other and growing fond of one another.
Both had a lot of backstory and depth, and they worked well together.
The world was really interesting. The whole Steampunk/Fantasy setup is engaging enough, but there were also depths hinted at, enough left to the imagination for us to understand but want to know more.
I'm interested to see where it goes from here. A well executed first novel in a series introduces the world and characters, and leaves the reader wanting to know more about both and what happens next. This one achieved both of those things.
That's not to say I don't enjoy Romance, just take a gander at my MyAnimeList account if you want proof of how much I do enjoy it. I just think that usually when something tries to be Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Romance, it usually fails at both. The make believe world ends up being boring, and the romantic relationship ends up being eye roll worthy.
In this case however, both are done rather well. The pair didn't have any love at first sight arrangement, no angst ridden dialogue of horny teens. It was just two people getting to know each other and growing fond of one another.
Both had a lot of backstory and depth, and they worked well together.
The world was really interesting. The whole Steampunk/Fantasy setup is engaging enough, but there were also depths hinted at, enough left to the imagination for us to understand but want to know more.
I'm interested to see where it goes from here. A well executed first novel in a series introduces the world and characters, and leaves the reader wanting to know more about both and what happens next. This one achieved both of those things.
September 5, 2021
Love the worldbuilding, the love plot is quite annoying but I guess (and hope) it will develop in a more holistic way in the later books.
January 13, 2016
Find this and many other reviews at Geekritique!
Originally written exclusively for Audible by author Jack Campbell, The Pillars of Reality is an ongoing fantasy series that bridges your classic elements with steampunk. I think the notion of audible exclusive content to be pretty cool, especially in my genre of choice, but I'm pleased to announce the first three books are now available to buy in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle, which I'll link for you below. If you want a quick read that's a guaranteed page-turner, yet light on some of the heavier fantasy tropes, I definitely recommend The Dragons of Dorcastle.
The book follows two protagonists. The first, a male Mage named Alain, is the youngest ever to make the status of Mage in his Guild. He is tasked with his first mission, to help transport a caravan from one town to the next. The second, a female Master Mechanic named Mari, is also the youngest in her guild to be promoted to the status, and many of her seniors look down on her for the breach in usual tradition. Her first mission happens to be to stay hidden within the caravan until she gets to the next town. Bandits end up striking the caravan, and though the two remain alive after the conflict, the manor and strength of the bandits weaponry prompt the two to begin investigating a mystery that seems far bigger than they could ever imagine.
The thing is, Mages (who are taught to divorce the self from emotion and feeling, similar to Star Trek's Vulcans), cannot stand Mechanics, and vice versa. Both guilds treat it as a treasonous act to be anywhere near one another, let alone to talk and help each other out. So much so, that the two don't even believe the other's abilities in their respective fields are anything more than tricks. So seeing the two discover the wonders of each other's abilities throughout the novel, is an unraveling treat.
The biggest problem with the book, for me, is Alain himself. He's written so robotic (purposely so), that it becomes a story of an android learning what it means to be human. This does prove hilarious at times, and sad, but many times you kind of just wish the author would move on, instead of describing every emotion the character doesn't feel, or sentiment he doesn't grasp.
In a way, it feels slightly like a fantastical take on the Romeo & Juliet story, but only at the books most shallow. I'll admit, I didn't really see where the story was headed until about halfway through, wherein I got it, and it became a must finish. It's a novel driven by character development, but I can see moving forward that it will evolve into much more of a story driven narrative.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Not without its flaws, it was a nice step back into the fantasy genre for me - something I haven't been reading for some months. I've already begun the next novel, and can't wait to find out where the two characters are headed next.
Originally written exclusively for Audible by author Jack Campbell, The Pillars of Reality is an ongoing fantasy series that bridges your classic elements with steampunk. I think the notion of audible exclusive content to be pretty cool, especially in my genre of choice, but I'm pleased to announce the first three books are now available to buy in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle, which I'll link for you below. If you want a quick read that's a guaranteed page-turner, yet light on some of the heavier fantasy tropes, I definitely recommend The Dragons of Dorcastle.
The book follows two protagonists. The first, a male Mage named Alain, is the youngest ever to make the status of Mage in his Guild. He is tasked with his first mission, to help transport a caravan from one town to the next. The second, a female Master Mechanic named Mari, is also the youngest in her guild to be promoted to the status, and many of her seniors look down on her for the breach in usual tradition. Her first mission happens to be to stay hidden within the caravan until she gets to the next town. Bandits end up striking the caravan, and though the two remain alive after the conflict, the manor and strength of the bandits weaponry prompt the two to begin investigating a mystery that seems far bigger than they could ever imagine.
The thing is, Mages (who are taught to divorce the self from emotion and feeling, similar to Star Trek's Vulcans), cannot stand Mechanics, and vice versa. Both guilds treat it as a treasonous act to be anywhere near one another, let alone to talk and help each other out. So much so, that the two don't even believe the other's abilities in their respective fields are anything more than tricks. So seeing the two discover the wonders of each other's abilities throughout the novel, is an unraveling treat.
The biggest problem with the book, for me, is Alain himself. He's written so robotic (purposely so), that it becomes a story of an android learning what it means to be human. This does prove hilarious at times, and sad, but many times you kind of just wish the author would move on, instead of describing every emotion the character doesn't feel, or sentiment he doesn't grasp.
In a way, it feels slightly like a fantastical take on the Romeo & Juliet story, but only at the books most shallow. I'll admit, I didn't really see where the story was headed until about halfway through, wherein I got it, and it became a must finish. It's a novel driven by character development, but I can see moving forward that it will evolve into much more of a story driven narrative.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Not without its flaws, it was a nice step back into the fantasy genre for me - something I haven't been reading for some months. I've already begun the next novel, and can't wait to find out where the two characters are headed next.
Grab this in:
Audible | Hardcover | Paperback | eBook
January 19, 2015
The world is controlled by 2 great guilds, The Mechanics and The Mages. Neither of these mix and they are forbidden to associate together. But when a Mage and a Mechanic are thrown together, they need to get over their differences and work together to stay alive.
Well this book took me completely by surprise. First things first, I went into it thinking, great, Dragons but by 50% there was no sign of them and I was thinking, where are the dragons!!! The name is a bit misleading but as we approach the end you can see why it's called The Dragons Of Dorcastle, so I will say, don't go into this book expecting a book full of Dragons!! Saying that, in no way does the fact that there are very few Dragons (one in fact) detract from the story. This is such a complex and exciting book and one I highly highly recommend you listen to.
Let's get onto the absolutely amazing characters that are Mari and Alain. I think they are among my favourite characters ever!!
Mari is the youngest ever Master Mechanic but is considered to be nothing to her elders. They think that she should never have been made a Master because of her age and they constantly remind her of the fact. They treat her with derision and don't listen to her but she keeps her head high.
Then we have Alain who is a Mage. Mages are feared and not at all liked by even the common people. Mages are thought that emotion is your enemy so every Mage is basically emotionless. They are almost robotic in their thoughts and ways. They are thought that nothing and no one matters and that the world is all an illusion so how can anything matter if it's all fake.
Anyway, Alain is hired to protect a caravan which gets attacked by men that have Mechanic weapons, guns. Alain isn't able to protect the caravan but manages to rescue a girl who was in the last caravan, Mari. Alain thinks that it is his job now to get Mari to where she was going. Mari is hesitant to even talk to him because he is a Mage and everyone knows what Mages do. She has no choice though because the men are trying to find her.
One thing I adored about the book is Mari and Alains relationship. They go from hating each other to having a grudging respect for each other. I enjoyed seeing Alain respond to things Mari said. Mari can't understand how Mages can be so emotionless but to Alain, it's his life. He struggles to understand what is happening to him but he realises that Mari is awakening things in him that were locked away for a long time. It was such a pleasure to read their interactions and I often found myself laughing at Alains reactions.
Another thing I loved was the world. Mages and Mechanics rule the world of Dematr but the people are reaching their limit. Mages believe that the common folk dont exist and therefore are not worthy and the Mechanics believe themselves better than everyone else. Mechanics build and maintain things and Mages protect with their magic, yet the people are tired of being caged. We have a mix of both magic and mechanical things thrown together to create on heck of a book.
Anyway, The Dragons Of Dorcastle was a fantastic read. From the very first page I was drawn into a world filled with an almost steampunk feel but that's heavy in magic too. It was an action packed and exciting book and one I can't recommend highly enough. I loved everything about the book, from the magical world to the fantastic characters, and I can not wait for the next book to see what happens. It's an absolutely fantabulous story and one that I know I will read time and time again.
So far it's only available in Audio format but I have to say that listening to it was amazing. MacLeod Andrews did a fantastic job. When he was reading Alain, he was emotionless and you could feel how confused Alain was most of the time when it came to Maris feelings. He also did Mari perfectly, he showed her fiery and inquisitive spirit. Even if this was available in print, I'd still recommend the Audio! Amazing book!!!
Well this book took me completely by surprise. First things first, I went into it thinking, great, Dragons but by 50% there was no sign of them and I was thinking, where are the dragons!!! The name is a bit misleading but as we approach the end you can see why it's called The Dragons Of Dorcastle, so I will say, don't go into this book expecting a book full of Dragons!! Saying that, in no way does the fact that there are very few Dragons (one in fact) detract from the story. This is such a complex and exciting book and one I highly highly recommend you listen to.
Let's get onto the absolutely amazing characters that are Mari and Alain. I think they are among my favourite characters ever!!
Mari is the youngest ever Master Mechanic but is considered to be nothing to her elders. They think that she should never have been made a Master because of her age and they constantly remind her of the fact. They treat her with derision and don't listen to her but she keeps her head high.
Then we have Alain who is a Mage. Mages are feared and not at all liked by even the common people. Mages are thought that emotion is your enemy so every Mage is basically emotionless. They are almost robotic in their thoughts and ways. They are thought that nothing and no one matters and that the world is all an illusion so how can anything matter if it's all fake.
Anyway, Alain is hired to protect a caravan which gets attacked by men that have Mechanic weapons, guns. Alain isn't able to protect the caravan but manages to rescue a girl who was in the last caravan, Mari. Alain thinks that it is his job now to get Mari to where she was going. Mari is hesitant to even talk to him because he is a Mage and everyone knows what Mages do. She has no choice though because the men are trying to find her.
One thing I adored about the book is Mari and Alains relationship. They go from hating each other to having a grudging respect for each other. I enjoyed seeing Alain respond to things Mari said. Mari can't understand how Mages can be so emotionless but to Alain, it's his life. He struggles to understand what is happening to him but he realises that Mari is awakening things in him that were locked away for a long time. It was such a pleasure to read their interactions and I often found myself laughing at Alains reactions.
Another thing I loved was the world. Mages and Mechanics rule the world of Dematr but the people are reaching their limit. Mages believe that the common folk dont exist and therefore are not worthy and the Mechanics believe themselves better than everyone else. Mechanics build and maintain things and Mages protect with their magic, yet the people are tired of being caged. We have a mix of both magic and mechanical things thrown together to create on heck of a book.
Anyway, The Dragons Of Dorcastle was a fantastic read. From the very first page I was drawn into a world filled with an almost steampunk feel but that's heavy in magic too. It was an action packed and exciting book and one I can't recommend highly enough. I loved everything about the book, from the magical world to the fantastic characters, and I can not wait for the next book to see what happens. It's an absolutely fantabulous story and one that I know I will read time and time again.
So far it's only available in Audio format but I have to say that listening to it was amazing. MacLeod Andrews did a fantastic job. When he was reading Alain, he was emotionless and you could feel how confused Alain was most of the time when it came to Maris feelings. He also did Mari perfectly, he showed her fiery and inquisitive spirit. Even if this was available in print, I'd still recommend the Audio! Amazing book!!!
December 17, 2017
This is fantasy, but it is centered around the relationship of the two main characters. They are young and watching their feelings for each other grow was very cute and made me laugh several times. If you are looking for serious, high fantasy, this is not the series for you. However, I'm really looking forward to the next book.
I listened to the audio book, which is wonderful.
I listened to the audio book, which is wonderful.
November 11, 2025
John G. Hemry, under the name of Jack Campbell, began his steampunk/fantasy series called The Pillars of Reality, with the novel The Dragons of Dorcastle that was published in 2014. The primary characters are a young lady from the Mechanics Guild named Mari and, Alain, a young man of seventeen from the Mage's Guild. These two characters were, more or less, raised and groomed from a young age within their respective Guilds which included teaching them about the distrust and loathing of the opposing organization. Consequently, in some cases this story could be considered a variation of the old Capulet and Montague syndrome. But then it is much more than that. As Mari and Alain get to know one another due to an event at the beginning of the novel, they also find that their individual powers and skills can be much more useful and powerful when they are combined than separate. A very clever idea, if I say so myself.
As the reader gets into the novel, we find that Campbell's third person style is improvised by occasionally getting into the mind of Mari and providing the reader her innermost thoughts and feelings. In addition, we gain exposure to the leaders of each guild who, when interrogating the respective characters, because of certain events they experience together, strangely possess very similar feelings toward our heroes being almost abusive and guarded for no reason.
In any case, the novel is engaging and interesting. Alain, who appears to be very ignorant about real world concepts and emotions (such as love, hate, happiness, etc.) and Mari who, on the other hand, knows a great deal more about such things cultivate a strange companionship, that seems to work. It provides something for the reader to cheer for in this world that seems to, in many cases, lack hope. Maybe that's the whole point of the series, however. The development of Mari, and her eventual goal to save this fantasy world, with Alain, hopefully by her side.
As the reader gets into the novel, we find that Campbell's third person style is improvised by occasionally getting into the mind of Mari and providing the reader her innermost thoughts and feelings. In addition, we gain exposure to the leaders of each guild who, when interrogating the respective characters, because of certain events they experience together, strangely possess very similar feelings toward our heroes being almost abusive and guarded for no reason.
In any case, the novel is engaging and interesting. Alain, who appears to be very ignorant about real world concepts and emotions (such as love, hate, happiness, etc.) and Mari who, on the other hand, knows a great deal more about such things cultivate a strange companionship, that seems to work. It provides something for the reader to cheer for in this world that seems to, in many cases, lack hope. Maybe that's the whole point of the series, however. The development of Mari, and her eventual goal to save this fantasy world, with Alain, hopefully by her side.
March 26, 2015
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/03/2...
Publisher: Jabwerwokky
Publishing Date: April 2015
ISBN: 9781625671196
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.9/5
Publisher Description: Mari is a brilliant young Mechanic, just out of the Guild Halls, where she has spent most of her life learning how to run the steam locomotives and other devices of her Guild. Alain is the youngest Mage ever to learn how to change the world he sees with the power of his mind. Each has been taught that the works of the other’s Guild are frauds. But when their caravan is destroyed, they begin to discover how much has been kept from them.
Review: This novel surprised me in it’s plot line due to the nature of mixing genres. Mari and her Guild evoke the 1800’s Steampunk era and Alain is a sorcerer of a sorts. A kind of science vs. magic premise. They are thrown together due to the separate machinations of their respective guilds and build a forbidden relationship.
This was an entertaining read as the story line pulls you in. The characters….meh. Mari is entirely self-absorbed based on her endless internal ruminations and you never really get to develop any connection to her as everything always works out for her. Saved by Alain at every turn she soon discovers deeper feelings for this unemotional oddity called Alain. The pace/movement was good yet failed to develop the characters in any meaningful way. Alain developed a little because he had to. The only way for him is UP, as he was stripped of all humanity within the Mage Guild. Still, a pretty creative plot.
Publisher: Jabwerwokky
Publishing Date: April 2015
ISBN: 9781625671196
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.9/5
Publisher Description: Mari is a brilliant young Mechanic, just out of the Guild Halls, where she has spent most of her life learning how to run the steam locomotives and other devices of her Guild. Alain is the youngest Mage ever to learn how to change the world he sees with the power of his mind. Each has been taught that the works of the other’s Guild are frauds. But when their caravan is destroyed, they begin to discover how much has been kept from them.
Review: This novel surprised me in it’s plot line due to the nature of mixing genres. Mari and her Guild evoke the 1800’s Steampunk era and Alain is a sorcerer of a sorts. A kind of science vs. magic premise. They are thrown together due to the separate machinations of their respective guilds and build a forbidden relationship.
This was an entertaining read as the story line pulls you in. The characters….meh. Mari is entirely self-absorbed based on her endless internal ruminations and you never really get to develop any connection to her as everything always works out for her. Saved by Alain at every turn she soon discovers deeper feelings for this unemotional oddity called Alain. The pace/movement was good yet failed to develop the characters in any meaningful way. Alain developed a little because he had to. The only way for him is UP, as he was stripped of all humanity within the Mage Guild. Still, a pretty creative plot.
January 16, 2015
3 ½ Stars
The Dragons of Dorcastle is the first book in the The Pillars of Reality series by Jack Campbell. Narrated by MacLeod Andrews.
The blurb more than explains what this book is about, so I won’t delve more into it.
I was very excited about listening to this audiobook, I had heard great things about Jack Campbell’s books and I thought this was my chance. Sadly, my high expectations were not met. Maybe if I wouldn’t have expected much from it I would have liked it more.
My biggest problem was that everything was too easy and too perfectly “there” to work in the characters favor. From the way they meet, to the circumstances that bring them together, to them “falling in love” and finally, to them solving the mystery of the dragons of Dorcastle.
Mari is a good heroine, but at the same time she is a bit frustrating. She is smart, but headstrong and suffers from episodes of teenager angst.
Alain is my favorite of the two, maybe because he is the one that grows the most. There is an obvious change from the Alain from first chapters, to the one at the end and I liked seeing him change.
Read the rest of my review at The Bookaholic Cat
The Dragons of Dorcastle is the first book in the The Pillars of Reality series by Jack Campbell. Narrated by MacLeod Andrews.
The blurb more than explains what this book is about, so I won’t delve more into it.
I was very excited about listening to this audiobook, I had heard great things about Jack Campbell’s books and I thought this was my chance. Sadly, my high expectations were not met. Maybe if I wouldn’t have expected much from it I would have liked it more.
My biggest problem was that everything was too easy and too perfectly “there” to work in the characters favor. From the way they meet, to the circumstances that bring them together, to them “falling in love” and finally, to them solving the mystery of the dragons of Dorcastle.
Mari is a good heroine, but at the same time she is a bit frustrating. She is smart, but headstrong and suffers from episodes of teenager angst.
Alain is my favorite of the two, maybe because he is the one that grows the most. There is an obvious change from the Alain from first chapters, to the one at the end and I liked seeing him change.
Read the rest of my review at The Bookaholic Cat
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