Empty Hands: A Thirteenth Hour Interlude: A Retro Martial Arts Fantasy

by Joshua Blum

Sometimes the best weapon is nothing at all.

...I stand before you with open hands that carry no weapons. And though they may prefer to create than destroy, when the time is right to stand, either to defend or protect, then these shall be my weapons, my empty hands ...

Legend has it that during the Drawing, His Majesty’s elite, the fabled Imperial Rangers, receive sidearms magically assigned to their strengths and talents. As the first Ranger class in decades, none of the eight Rangers-in-training really knows what the Drawing will entail. In fact, Logan, the youngest, smallest, and seemingly least capable Ranger frankly couldn’t care less which weapon he’s assigned; he’d settle for surviving the rest of his training in one piece. Can he and the others work through their differences and finally come together as one unit? Can they learn enough to take their rightful place beside the exalted ranks of the Rangers of old? Find out by reading this blissfully self-aware martial arts fantasy that owes much to Saturday morning cartoons, Hong Kong kung fu cinema, Dungeons and Dragons, and 80s action films. The true connoisseur of obscure 80s trivia can find clues to a surprise bonus hidden inside the pages of this story.

Like other works by the same author, this novella is a stand-alone expansion to The Thirteenth Hour and comes with its own retro 80s concept EP so while going through the story, readers can click on embedded links to hear the digital synth soundtrack created to accompany the text.

103 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2019

About the author

In 1998, Joshua Blum wrote and illustrated an early draft of his first novel, "The Thirteenth Hour," inspired by his love of 1980s fantasy and science fiction movies, fairy tales, archery, and martial arts. He finally had the time to publish it sixteen years later. In the interim, he graduated from Princeton and Penn State Universities. He is grateful to his parents for instilling in him a love of learning, his brother for keeping him young, and his wife and children for their love. He is currently working on his next novel and hosts a weekly podcast (available free on iTunes @ apple.co/1S3FBWi)

Reviews

[Jeremy Blum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empty Hands is an interlude that takes place squarely in the middle of Joshua Blum's novel "The Thirteenth Hour," but you don't need to have read the main book to appreciate this. In fact, if you dig retro vibes and old cartoon shows - usually those about a team of dudes working together to kick butt, often to the sounds of a hype synth intro - then you're sure to like this. The story focuses on Logan, the main character from "The Thirteenth Hour," and his Imperial Ranger comrades as they undergo a military coming-of-age ceremony and receive weapons which match their personalities. The Rangers were bit players in the novel yet receive full-on characterization here, and the overall theme revolves around teamwork and discovering the true potential that lies within one's...empty hands, so to speak. Overall, it's a fulfilling, fantastic read that delves into personalities and events that "The Thirteenth Hour" didn't have time to divulge - exactly what an interlude is supposed to do - and there are even rad pixel art illustrations and links peppered throughout which lead to supplementary material, like music tracks and blog posts. Well worth the read, and if you really wanna have the most stellar time experiencing this and the other works in the same world, my recommendation would be to approach Joshua Blum's creations as follows:

The Shadow in the Moonlight (prequel to The Thirteenth Hour)
The Thirteenth Hour (up to Chapter 9)
Empty Hands
The Thirteenth Hour (after Chapter 9)
* Bonus: The Case of the Almost Assassination and The Case of the Grandmotherly Ghost (two D&D campaigns)
Fallen Leaves Don't Weep (epilogue to The Thirteenth Hour)