Brimstone

The Metals Trilogy #1

by Justine Rosenberg

Sariel, a fugitive slave, is running from the desert mines, and from an Empire that is hungry for a new and mysterious metal that the alchemists call brimstone.

In a moment of mercy and lust, Ava Sandrino, herself a knight fallen from grace, shelters Sariel from his pursuers, and in the light of the moon, he speaks to her of a door. It is a gate that opens into a world that lies beyond the Northern Dark, over the edge of their farthest horizon. There, paupers rub shoulders with princes, and there are riches to be had by those with the will to seize them.

Swayed by Sariel's tales of strange oceans and distant stars, and tired of a past that holds her down, Ava joins him on the trek to the kingdom where souls are remade. Together, they must cross a borderland that is the domain of magicians, the humans that serve them, and the One O’clock King: a faceless despot who guards the crossroads of worlds.

Genres: Fantasy, Novels, Novella

164 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2019

About the author

Justine Rosenberg is the author of "The Metals Trilogy," a dark fantasy series about people in lust, blundering their way to the throne one double-dealing accident after another. She lives with her husband and family in the Pacific Northwest.

Reviews

[Francisca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brimstone is a surprising book. It's short, almost novella length but regardless of that, it manages to introduce us to a world that is easy to imagine but hard to define. A world that feels much like the ours of a century ago, a bit like the Tsars’ Russia, but it has also something of a pre-industrial Paris, with just a tinny bit of a big city at the time of the fast frontier expansion in the US.

Justine Rosenberg works hard to give this world its grim patina, layering cruelty, poverty, racism, with just enough hope, some love and quite some lust to make it look real and old and deep. At times, however, she’s a bit scanty with her worlds and her descriptions move too fast to let the reader, or at least me, get a good look at the final picture. Because of it, I did feel lost here and there, not knowing exactly what place I was and who was there with me.

Nonetheless, making up for that blurriness of the background, Rosenberg creates characters that are full of life and desires. Ava, a disgraced member of the Knighthood now a prostitute, brims with life, and anger and a deep set need for revenge that a times looks like an unbearable thirst for hope and a new beginning. She’s the one we follow as she hides a fugitive, a non-human one.

She hides him, who is not human and yet, more human than most, and falls in love, or as much as she thinks one can fall in love with anything other than the notion of showing your family they hadn’t broken you and neither did life, even if both tried really hard.

As I say, the story moves fast, introducing different races, and territories, while explaining us how it all works, from an elemental sort of magic that seems to be the source of all the riches to the never changing nature of those in power, wanting to stay in power and caring little for those they exploit.

It takes effort to get into this book. You may find the initial pages difficult to follow, but once it all settles in your imagination, the trip is very much worth the hard work.

Original, lyrical at times, and full of surprises, give Brimstone a chance.

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley

2.5 stars

Somehow this book was both too long and too short - too long to keep my attention, too short to feel like an actual novel. I figure this is a part of a future trilogy, but in reality it feels like a third of a book.

The author clearly did have quite a story mapped out, and I think it could be good. But it needs reworking and editing. It needs building.

I find it hard to say what I didn't like about it, but it just didn't draw me in. There IS worldbuilding, but something is just off about it. Perhaps that there are so many concepts about this place that are different from how our world works - but not all of them are explained, so you are left wondering. Or they are explained, but way later, when it's sort of irrelevant for you (I kept wondering for like half the book what a hide-behind was and I'm still not sure).

The story itself could have been good - but it didn't keep my attention and confused me. It still has potential, but without reworking and editing and I can not recommend it.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

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[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I often say that I love a book that just dives right in. Well, Brimstone is definitely a book that dives right into the story without much building. It felt as though I had turned to chapter 5 in the book and just started reading without knowing what was going on. That being said, I found it difficult to catch up even halfway through the book. I think this story has most of the ingredients to be an epic fantasy journey, but the fact that I struggled through book one leaves with concerns on how I will feel about the rest.

[Shannon Rohrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars, rounded up to 5.

Far more than just a good read, this novella was excellent! Chock-full of vivid world-building, gritty, atmospheric scenes, engaging characters, and all spun within a poetic narrative, Brimstone is sure to sate many a fantasy and/or Steampunk lover's appetites.

Definitely recommended. I can't wait for the sequel!

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️

I am really sorry to say that this was not a good book. I really believe that it could have been fleshed out a bit more and gone through a few more batches of editing. It had a very interesting premise, but the characters weren't likable, with the exception of Oliver Lane, and the world was hard to understand because it wasn't fully developed.

Half the time I couldn't understand what was happening and the story itself felt very choppy. I also could not get behind our main character Ava. Her motivations were unclear and she felt like a useless heroine. She casually talks about an old man dying while having sex when she is supposed to be focused on bigger threats, and she seems to solve all her problems with sex. She can also be very naive and likes to talk tough.

Meanwhile the love interest felt so forced and boring because he barely has any time in the spotlight. I found myself liking Oliver Lane much more despite his cringey overuse of the word darling. He actually seemed to have some depth to his character. He wasn't completely one dimensional and had some pretty impressive abilities.

While on the subject of abilities, I felt like there was no explanation for half of the things in here. Seriously , don't ask me what a wraith, geomancer, or hide-behind is, I truly wouldn't know how to explain it. There was also a bunch of names thrown at us for the different powers that be and also places that we don't know and won't find out about in this book. It is just too short. That was really the biggest downfall.

I also felt like the writing itself seemed off. At times it felt like there was just an overuse of the thesaurus or maybe I am just dumb. But we got lines like, "Stale sweat limned the air," and I am like what the fuck is "limned"? Also descriptions like, "His face was the color of unlined paper."



I wouldn't say I actively hated this book and that is why it isn't a one star book. But, it just isn't good...it could be...but it isn't.

Also casual pedophilia and animal death mentioned.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is an amazing, fast paced novella that sets the scene for a new series of books and a new fantasy adventure and world to set sail into.
The characters are complex but likeable and I cant wait for book two to find out what will happen next.
The writing is fluent and poetic and the scenes are dark and steam-punky.
An amazing start to a new fantasy series.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dove headfirst into this fantasy novel on a recommendation without knowing anything about the storyline or author background. I hadn’t even read a synopsis so I had no idea what to expect. The action begins on the first page as our main character comes home to find someone or something has broken into her home. From that, we are swept up almost immediately in a plot filled with action and danger after the very first scene.
One of the very first things a reader will notice is the great attention to detail that heightens the sense of not only sight but all five senses in this world. The smell of food and different materials, the colorful environment and the sounds of this bustling city are given in a way that paints a picture of a new type of fantasy novel. Without being heavy-handed, the author reminds us that this is not Lord of the Rings or any other European based system but is planted firmly in the realm of east Asian mythology. There are no rolling hills or pastoral plains here. This is a story that takes place in crowded streets, steamy bathhouses and paper house waterfronts. It is a world inhabited by just enough of a nod to mundane human culture that the most fantastical creatures and characters feel more real.
My only real qualm with this novel is echoed by other reviewers in that there is so much information jammed into every page that I started to have a difficult time keeping each shadowy organization and exotic country straight in my mind. The picture painted by the author is intriguing but it needs some time to breathe and develop throughout the story. A world this full and complex is a joy and I want to dwell in that world a little while but instead I was hurried too quickly through each scene by a fast-moving plot.
Finally, despite being a bit rushed in it’s development the story is held together by a strong emotional tie felt towards the main characters. For the most part the main characters are likeable and I am rooting for them while the villains are easy to hate. These are always a plus in my mind.
If you’re into a fast-paced, original fantasy packed with magic and adventure, you will enjoy this story. The concepts and characters are original, the plot is engaging and there will apparently be more to read considering this is book one of a trilogy.

[Spira Virgo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this copy from Netgallery for an Honest review.

"Love hurts, Sandrino. It's a universal truth."

A debut is not always easy thing. It's quite frightening really, sharing your hard written fictional work out there in the world. Nowadays it's a lot easier since people can work independently and publish their work compare to the old times. Your work can be either a success or a pass depending if the work was desirable by the reader. For me personally reading the premise of Brimstone sounded alluring.

You got Ava Sandrino, a simple woman trying to earn her place in the corrupt empire by doing her work and keeping herself alive. Ridiculed by her fall from Knighthood by embracing her earthly desires she now works as a sex worker in the Paper house. Ava trying her best until one day her apartment is wide open and a wraith is inside, hiding after he escaped custody. From there things spiraled down as you can imagine with a plot like this. Ava tries to help him, things don't work, etc.

I would say that despite it being short it works. Ava is a good protagonist to follow who knows who she is and what she wants. She knows what is right and wrong in this world and despite her stubborn she isn't afraid of picking a fight not to mention her showing she's not embarrassed of her job nor her status as a very sexually active person. She and Sariel (the Wraith) has a good connection, the other characters appearing in this novella are memorable and the world is intriguing, sort of real world taking a different directions then what we imagine.

However, the biggest problem that this novella faces is that the length and the pacing are its biggest issue. I feel like everything would had worked better if we had time to fully experience Ava story from the beginning or in full fleshed segments so we could connect even more with her and the bigger issues that looming over us. But we are swiftly jumping from point AA to B which isn't a major flaw in short stories or novellas unless you know how to structure it well.

Justine Rosenberg writes remarkably well and i enjoyed her story without any doubts. I would keep following her and this short series and buy her books regardless of my nitpicking because she made me into a fan from the beginning of the first page. That's just shows you that debuts can be enjoyable if you give it a shot

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book literally jumps right in and I felt like I was missing the first few chapters. There was no real introduction to the world or characters making me feel a little lost going in. However, once I got a little ways in and became more familiar with the world the author created it seemed layered and had potential, yet I was still rather confused as it seemed like the it wasn’t fully developed. I wish there would have been more explanation provided on the various creatures and magical elements mentioned throughout the book so I had a better idea of what was going on. Overall this book wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great. I think it was simply too short. It had great potential, but it just wasn’t long enough to fully develop any elements in the book which ultimately made it fall a little flat.

What I liked:

🔸The fast pace
🔸The steampunk vibes
🔸The writing style

[Veronika · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF bei 50%....
Vermutlich (?) eine interessante Prämisse, aber ein derart unverständliches World Building, das gefühlt jeder Satz aus einer Aneinanderreihung von Fantasywörtern ist, die nichts für mich bedeuten. Weiß weder genau was die Stakes sind, noch worauf der eigentlich Plot hinauswill.

[P.A. Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This story is set in a brand new world with unique themes and hierarchy’s. The author has an exceptional way with words and paints vivid pictures of the settings and characters throughout the novel. Her characters are complex and she weaves their individual motivations into the plot quite well. With a world as large as this I imagine the upcoming books will take the reader on quite the journey. The only reason I posted 4 stars was that it was a little confusing at first and thought the novel could have done with some fleshing out at the beginning.

[Lexie]

DNF @ 47% - so this is just a no. Interesting premise, flat not so engaging characters.

[Hannah Snell · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is so much going on in Brimstone, that it is amazing that it is all crammed into a short 96 page novella. However, I imagine that this is also incredibly off-putting for many readers, as very little concession is made to explaining, well, ANYTHING.

Ava Sandrino is a knight fallen from grace - a military group known for celibacy, but she was caught sleeping with a superior, and is now a successful prostitute. When she comes home to find the wraith Sariel, an elemental species, hiding in her flat, she decides to protect him. With a knight from her past on her trail, she must go on the run, using all of the contacts and resources she has built up over the years to rescue Sariel and escape the life that she has become trapped in.

I tried hard, but I still don't understand whether this is set in some kind of sci-fi fantasy earth, or an imaginary planet. Likewise, I can't tell whether the lines of travel, or slipstreams, are over-elaborate ways of ocean-travel, or they are conjoined planets. Who can tell?

Furthermore, there were so many off-scene characters, lands and political contexts that were mentioned, in order to give 'life' to the story, but just added to the confusion. I'm still not certain who the Pit Lords, One O'Clock King or the Emperor Tong are, or even if some are the same. The story showed great imagination, though, from the names and locations, to the political and geographical context.

It was short, and I really admire the amount of content and good writing that was crammed in to such a short story - it had the potential to really show how less is more in a very sophisticated way. But without any clear explanations of what on earth (or off earth?) was going on, it  meant that, although you could go along with the story, very little made any sense. It was like trying to translate a foreign language, with only a minimal grasp of the vocab.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Bookatiepillar · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 35% - This book draw me in because of the plot and book cover.

I liked how story started in the middle, it raised a lot of questions and I was curious to find the answers. But more I read, the plot progressed we learned new terms and new names without any explanation of the previous ones. A lot was not told and I just had to guess. I’d love this book to be 300 pages instead of 81 and have some more world building and character introduction.

The writing style was bad… I am not a native English speaker but I do have master’s degree in English and I lived in UK. There were a lot of words I didn't know. I had to open dictionary or let my fantasy to fill up the gap. This killed the whole atmosphere. Language is very descriptive but in wrong way.... "Iron walkway that arched over string of sewage pipes" aka… bridge. We don't need explanation of bridge we need to know what kind it is .With railing? Old? New? Shiny or rusty? I had to read these type of descriptions few times to understand what the author is trying to say and after that I still didn’t know what type of bridge we are talking about.

I did like the main character. I keep reading books where the female protagonist is amazing warrior, lost princes a special one selected by Gods...etc. This main character was a normal woman who tried to survive by working as a prostitute and that was very interesting. She felt real and it was refreshing.
As I said the story idea is great but there is space for improvement.

[Nils Ödlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is strange, and I think it's strange in the good way. I read it right away it came out, as I'm vaguely acquainted with the writer, but I waited a bit to think it over before writing a review.
My biggest impression is that this book is akin to an assault on the senses. The descriptions are incredibly rich, and sometimes cross over into overwhelming. They paint a world that exist around the corner, and outside the room, and just beyond sight. Kind of like in a dream, where you know there is something behind the door, but you don't know quite what, and then you're suddenly somewhere else.
Sometimes while reading, I was reminded of the movie Spirited Away.
I can't remember having read anything like it.
What didn't work for me:
The book doesn't let up. There's pretty much constantly new impressions for the mind to process, and there's not much opportunity to catch up and mull on what you already know. It's very intense, and sometimes a little bit overwhelming.
What did work for me:
I'm curious about the world and how it works. We only catch glimpses of it in the story, but there's a definite sense that there is a lot out there to explore and discover.
There's something dreamlike over much of the story, almost tipping over towards the nightmarish, but never quite going that far. It's fascinating, and at least to me, it's new and interesting.

[Celine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was given to me for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Plot
This book is about Ava, a woman who helps a wraith (Sariel) escaping. Ava herself was sold to the barracks by her mother. As for wraiths, they are seen as “slaves” rather than creatures and the only way for them to escape is to go to the Northern Dark. Ava is going to need every help she can get to escape with Sariel to a new world.

My opinion
I would like to begin by stating that the good parts of the book are the relationships between the characters and that the book is action-packed. However, I did not like the fact that you start in the middle of a story already. There is no build up, you are thrown into the story immediately. Furthermore I did not really have a connection with any of the characters, they felt a bit flat. As for the world-building, the author gave it her best shot to build a world in 96 pages, however it is rather difficult to establish a detailed world within less than 100 pages. Overall I would say: give it a shot and see if it is a book for you, that should be evident in the first 20% of the book.

[Kriti | Armed with A Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brimstone has an interesting premise. There are supernatural creatures like wraiths, scientists such as geomancer and alchemists, and then there are warriors such as knights and more. I liked the elements of science fantasy and the pace. I liked the descriptions of the city and the journey.

This book had a lot to offer in terms of history of the world, however, the fast-paced plot made it hard to understand the world. I could not relate to the protagonist and the use of derogatory language did not help me get more engaged with this book. I wanted to like it more since this was the first time when I had come across so such a world. Overall, it was ok. Might have been better to be longer book with more time spent on building the world and the characters rather than presenting so many legends and history. I don't remember seeing a world map and that might have come in handy to ground the story more.

Many thanks to the author for providing me a complimentary review copy through Lola's Blog tours in exchange for an honest review.

[Nana Spark]

DNF @ ~11%

The writing is really bad and the world building is try hard at best. The author only has less than 100 pages to try to tell a story. It can be done but not like this that's for sure.

ℹ Disclosure:
I received an eARC copy of this book from DartFrog Books via NetGalley and I’m reviewing it voluntarily.

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Ava is an ex knight, now working as a prostitute and her life changes when a fugitive hides in her House. He's a wraith, a creature the government use as slaves in fighting pits or mining brimstone. In a complex and peculiar world, she is taken by lust and compassion and decided to help him escape beyond the the Northen dark, beyond the Horizon into a new world. Helped by Oliver, who, she's suspect, Is from the Northen dark, and her neighbour Mrs Sullivan and her son, they start a journey, running away from the knights and their captain Shaw, who has a complex history with Ava.

I liked this story. It's interesting and captivating, even though I Wish It were longer and more developed. The story Is fast paced and I like the characters.
Ava is a strong character and Oliver is funny and interesting. Sariel is complex and I can't wait to know more about this world and the next, about brimstone and the wraiths and magicians.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis of this sounded really good, but for me not enough present yet to draw me in fully, not enough world building and not long enough, of what there is the story fails to hold your attention, with some work I think this could be really good but not as it is.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Brimstone via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but it suffered from the fact that it was a novella rather than a full book. The pace was fast but I would enjoyed more details about the characters and the world. With novellas, world building can be lacking a bit. That said, the characters are intriguing and I want to see what happens to them. I am interested in continuing with the series.

4 out of 5 Stars

[jhanami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a wonderful taster of the Author’s creation - filled to bursting with buckets of ideas, intricate world building and interesting characters. Being a novella it left much open and unexplained, but I for once hope there will be a full length novel soon - I can’t wait to hear more about Ava and Sariel, Oliver, Inday and Caleb, about the hide-behinds and river ghosts, the pit lords, earth-wells, the Eighth Pike, the Northern Dark, the geomancers and all the other places and concepts only briefly introduced so far.
A brilliant start to what I hope will become a riveting series!

[Ryan Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brimstone is the debut novella from a wonderfully talented emerging writer. It is Book 1 of the Metals Trilogy, but it’s SHORT, so the entire trilogy may end up being the length of a single book, which would definitely favour a collected volume.
Every single paragraph is stuffed with wonderful description, and bubbling with backstory that you have to work hard to piece together, making this book actually feel like a 300-page novel. This is nice, but the drawback is that there’s not a whole lot that actually HAPPENS throughout. The pleasure in reading Brimstone comes from the prose, the indirect world-building, and the rich + dirty qualities the author brings to both.
One bit of frustration for me as a reader: there are no “traditional” chapters here, and the breaks are at curious intervals (“chapters” are in 15, 15, 56, 6, and 70 pages), so there’s no real comfortable time to stop reading.
(Oh, and reader advisory: there are some sexy-time moments and strong language, but nothing *too* explicit)
There’s some really cool concepts here, and I’m curious as to where it’s all headed, which is really the sign of a good book.
Check it out, and support indie authors!

[Davy Kent · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a reluctant two-star review. I think the bones and underlying worldbuilding of Brimstone are worth four stars, but the execution itself failed in convincing us, the readers, to experience that worldbuilding.

What I mean by this is that it seemed as though the author spent a great deal of time thinking about their story, their characters, and the world it all exists in... but then forgot to let us in on the secret. Character relationships lack context, the story flips from one scene to the next without much reason for investment, and it just generally feels as though most of the book takes place in the author's mind instead of on the page.

Many books face the problem of being long-winded; they take far too long to get to the point, and you end up with a story that could do with 20,000 fewer words. Brimstone is the opposite. Many revelations and connections are hidden away from us. This story could use 20,000 more words, if only to build upon the relationships and ambitions we're expected to care about. It is a novella, so this mostly makes sense. A trilogy can't and shouldn't be contained to a novella; otherwise, why is it a trilogy?

The main character, as well, seems poorly portrayed. A strong, observant female lead is good, but how she's portrayed to us leaves a bit to be desired. To be specific, Ava seems more a caricature than an individual. The same responses recycle throughout the story, and it is unclear why she behaves the way she does. We're treated to a sad origin story, but not to the connections between that story and how she acts in the present. Everything is about sex, and almost every scene makes sure to mention how something smells or tastes. This structure is repeated, again and again, to the point that I once considered that Ava was flicking her tongue out like a snake to taste the air because that would be the only way it made sense. As well, her penchant for sex usually borders on the inappropriate or the unreasonable; her job is, of course, focused on sex, but it was a little odd that Ava's first instinct when meeting a wraith who had just escaped violent slavery and whose people were known to be off-limits for all was to immediately have a night of passionate sex, loudly enough that all the neighbours overhear.

(Ava aside, it's a little uncomfortable for the wraith himself. He's at her mercy, essentially, and the price for his safety is having sex with a strange woman. I feel like if the genders were reversed, this scenario would be received very, very differently.)

Don't get me wrong, Ava is not a bad character. As mentioned, the bones of Brimstone are good, better than average. All of my worries and complaints would be resolved with better editing and more substance. Ava's behaviour in particular would make more sense with more context, and repetition is a problem solved by variety. The snake comparison was smarmy, but in all actuality, it'd be fine if there was some established reason for why she was so focused on tastes and smells, and if it simply weren't mentioned quite so much.

I mentioned editing, and I'll talk about that for a paragraph here. The editing, largely, is fine, but there are some clear instances where machine-assisted tools were used and the suggestions were simply accepted. These tools are notorious for replacing the right word with the wrong one, and that happens a few times while you're reading. Our minds are good at glossing over these mistakes, but in Brimstone they were unfortunately quite obvious. There were also a few missing words, again, in places where the mind doesn't simply ignore them. This is not a big deal (not even worth docking a point for), but I mention it because I think it might be connected to the overarching problem of there not being enough context for readers to properly enjoy the story. Put differently: It feels like the author rushed completion of the story. They thought about it so much that they wanted it done, but this was to our detriment. More content and more refining would have done Brimstone very well. Letting a machine do a round of editing and accepting what it says sight unseen feels, to me, like a proclamation of "I just want this done and over with," and within the context of much information being secret to the reader and instead locked away in the author's mind somewhere... well, that makes sense. Maybe that isn't what happened, but it seems to parse for me.

This is a "good" two-star rating, largely because the problems have nothing to do with substance. I'll read the next book because the worldbuilding is well done. The writing itself is good quality. I just really hope that we're let in on all the things that make the worldbuilding worth it. Why do these characters matter? Why do they act the way they do? Why does the story matter? What motivations do these characters have? The next story being novel length will help a lot, I think.

I realize two stars is discouraging ("it was okay"), but to other readers: If you like fantasy, this is worth checking out. The problems with the book are execution-based, and will almost surely be improved upon in the second book. And since this first one is a novella, it's a very quick read. I think it's a situation where there will be a payoff if you stick with it.

[Julenka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite a unique reading experience for me this year. As it is quite a short one, it is very easy to get through fast - or it should be...
Unfortunately, the book didn't work out for me and this is why:

The beginning started out great. We are thrown into the story directly, without much discussion, there's already lots of action and the main conflict, as well as most of the important characters are already introduced! GREAT! Love that, this is how we roll with something that's around 100 pages, is what I thought.
Weeeeeeellll.... somehow, after some 30% suddenly while technically things were still happening, it felt like nothing was happening at all.... We got dialogues that kept repeating themselves, a lot of talking here and there, finding out things about the world with lots of words and terms and names that we didn't have much time to understand and grow accustomed with... Aaaand yeah... that's also the same way that this book ended.
At some 70% into the book, I finally realized my issue with Brimstone - it tells, it doesn't show. Most of the time the characters talk about other characters that we never met, about some countries and worlds and magic and politics and strategies and what not... And I was just sitting there and waiting finally to get some perspectives from exactly those characters/ in those worlds/countries etc... .. to actually live what the characters talked about.
Which didn't happen.
Which made me sad.
Which is why I am giving this book a generous 3 stars rating, because I did not not like it, but also did not quite like it, so it is just there and I don't really know what to do with it otherwise. Very sad. I won't continue the series, but I hope that it does get better as the characters will venture into those lands that we readers did not get to know yet in this installment.

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brimstone, The Metals Trilogy: Volume I, Justine Rosenberg

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy

I was intrigued by the description of this, and as its a debut read there wasn't anything else by this author I could see to check whether her writing suits my reading. So I took a jump and requested.

Sadly though what I missed is its not even 100 pages, just 92 according to goodreads. That's far to short for me and the reason I never read novellas is I just find too much crammed in too small a space.
That proved to be the issue here. We're dropped straight in the world, not knowing anything about they people and creatures that inhabit it, or even the world itself, and its all so very different that it makes it hard to follow.
I wanted to know more about Ava, not just the bare minimum we get fed, but more details about her past with the Knights, and how she became to work in the Paper Houses. Then there's Sariel, and his people, who are slaves, the necromancers, the geomancers, and more. There's not just this world either, but others, and places in-between worlds. It became an info dump of places, people and events.

It has so much possibility, but was so complex without any info on who and what was/could happen, that I just couldn't get to grips with the story. To be honest, that's not a lot. We meet Ava and Sariel, the knights are after them, and they make a run for it with a couple of others....that's it folks, more to follow.
That's not enough for me to engage with the story or the characters, and its a shame because from the style of writing I think this is a series I could enjoy. To me its not so much a novel or a series itself, as a serialised novel, a story broken into small chunks and though others like that, I don't.

Stars: Two, sadly too much info in too short a space for me. Expanded it could be a story/series I'd love but as it is it just lost me.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

[Kitiera Morey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review.

At first, I’ll admit, immersing myself in this world was a little difficult. It’s a mix of magic and late 1800’s tech with a vague European vibe. I think my problem was I wasn’t expecting it so it threw me off at first. Once I got the world, though, I craved to see more of it.

For being such a short story, it crammed a lot of detail into its pages. Yet it doesn’t feel overbearing and there was only one moment of info-dumping that slowed the pacing a bit. The world is rich with so many possibilities that I hope there are more stories that take place in it.

Ava is a refreshing take on someone with her profession. Usually, characters like her hate their lot and are only doing it so they can get their dream job. Now, Ava does have a goal, but it has nothing to do with what she does for work. Her job is just a means to accomplish that goal. I like that she enjoys what she does even if society looks down on her for it. She’s a fun character to follow, and I wanted to see her succeed.

I do think the ending moved a little too quickly. There was a rush of action that blurred together. I still followed it, but because it moved so fast, I couldn’t enjoy it like I wanted to. It’s like the author needed to fit the story within a certain number of pages or had a word limit.

This is a vibrant, engaging read that with a few tweaks would be the perfect novella. The magic is present but not overwhelming. The characters have their own flare, and their engagements are the best parts of the story. This is a decent 4 stars, and I’m so glad I got to read it.

[Hina Tabassum Khatri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally published on Hina Loves To Read and Net Galley.

It is a Net Galley title which I wanted to read because of the book cover. It is one those that I fell in love with instantly so Kudos to whoever designed it. You've done a job well done.

Now for the story, I have loved myself a story where one just starts with the action; right in the middle of the story but this one starting thus left me in a lurch because it was a made up world of which I had no prior knowledge.

On top of that, it was not a full length novel but a novella which seemed to have been published presuming that the author is well aware of the world therein and that no explanation would be necessary.

That was the major downfall of the story because things did not make sense as I had no idea what one thing or the other was.

Seeing as  this is part of a trilogy, there are books to follow which may explain a lot of stuff that was just mentioned in this too short a story.

Over all, it is a 2.5 stars for in which 1 whole star is just for the cover.

[Sari Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. I love diving deep into duologies, trilogies, and series but this one was just okay for me. The story almost felt a little flat.

It really lacked depth for me. It felt like the story started instantly and we really didn't get much of a backstory. I really wish there had been a bit more character development.

I did enjoy the main character. I am a fan of strong female protagonists. I really liked that this story shied away from the female lost princess warrior. The main character of this story is just a normal girl trying to survive.

I did not hate this story, but there is a lot of room for improvement. I hope that the next book in this trilogy. I will say that for a debut novel this was good. Coming out with your debut novel is a terrifying thing, but I think overall it was an okay start. I hope to read the rest of this story in the future.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.

[D · Rating 2 out of 5]

~~ I received a copy of Brimstone from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~

I think the most challenging thing about novellas (from the writer perspective) is having to tell a fully fleshed story in a condensed amount of time. You need to be able to show more than tell and build a functioning world in a much smaller space than you would in a full novel. Ms. Rosenberg definitely has a fully-fleshed world in Brimstone, but because of the size of her piece, it becomes super overwhelming in a very brief period of time. The world building plus incorporating the main character's back story were difficult to make sense of and I felt like I needed to write a whole graphic organizer to try to make sense of all the categories of creatures and characters in her story.

The premise is definitely interesting, and makes for a compelling story, but because of the condensed nature of the story, felt rushed and confusing. Much respect to Ms Rosenberg, but this book wasn't really my cup of tea.