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Fires of the Dead #1
Fires of the Dead
“The perfect read for someone looking to be quickly immersed in a magic system unlike anything else.” – Nikki Wallace
WISP IS A PYROMANCER: a magician who draws energy from fires to make his own flames. Leading a misfit thieving crew, he enters a desolate wasteland to steal a dead sorcerer's skull. But his crew aren’t the only ones on the hunt, and the forest isn’t as barren as it seems ...
A jaded gang leader longing for retirement.
A bloodthirsty magician with a lust for power.
A brutish fighter who’s smarter than he looks.
A young thief desperate to prove herself.
A cowardly navigator with secrets that won’t stay buried.
Together, they must survive fights, fires, and folk tales that prove disturbingly real – if they don’t kill each other first.
A grimdark fantasy novella with unique magic, perfect for Joe Abercrombie or Brandon Sanderson fans wanting a fast-paced thrill ride.
Read today to experience a story readers say is “unputdownable!”
Praise for Fires of the Dead:
★★★★★ “A common misconception about fantasy novels is that they are all epic, thousand page long tomes. [...] Fires of the Dead proves that you don’t need to write reams of narrative to fit all the components of a classic fantasy novel into one tale.” – Reviews Feed
★★★★★ “A gripping, fun, twisted tale of a band of misfit thieves as they adventure through charred forest to retrieve a valuable, magical item with a mega payload. [...] Be prepared to smash this book out in one reading; you'll be left wondering what's next at every damn turn.” – Mitch Bruce
★★★★★ “I loved every second of it. I didn't want to put it down. After I finished, Fires of the Dead left me wanting to continue reading about this world. Highly recommend this book for someone who loves a quick read full of action and suspense.” – Dannielle Leotta
★★★★★ I could not put this book down! I wanted to keep on reading and not sleep, and ended up the next day being a very moody person with a good story on the brain. I am so glad I read this and will be keeping an eye on books by this author.” – Sarah Coleman
★★★★★ “A great fantasy novella, a real page turner (it gave me goosebumps), I highly recommend it.” – Caitlin Shaw
192 pages, ebook
Published September 20, 2019
62 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
Jed Herne
11 books368 followersJed Herne is a fantasy author from Perth, Western Australia. His books include
Fires of the Dead
, which readers say is "the perfect read for someone looking to be quickly immersed in a magic system unlike anything else," and
Across the Broken Stars
, described as "an epic fantasy that has a unique setting," and
The Thunder Heist
- an epic pirate fantasy tale, which forms the first book in the Twisted Seas series.
His short stories have been published in The Arcanist, Scarlet Lead Review, Flintlock, and more. He is currently developing an interactive fiction game for Choice of Games.
Outside of writing, he hosts the Wizards, Warriors, & Words fantasy writing advice podcast with Rob J. Hayes, Dyrk Ashton, and Michael R. Fletcher. He also hosts The Novel Analyst Podcast, where he deconstructs his favourite books to help listeners improve their writing. And because that isn't already enough podcasting, he also hosts the Half-Baked Stories podcast, an improv storytelling show where writers are locked in a room and given half an hour to combine three random ideas into a single story.
He loves hearing from fans, and you can email him at: jed.herne1 [at] gmail.com . He does his best to read and reply to every message.
His short stories have been published in The Arcanist, Scarlet Lead Review, Flintlock, and more. He is currently developing an interactive fiction game for Choice of Games.
Outside of writing, he hosts the Wizards, Warriors, & Words fantasy writing advice podcast with Rob J. Hayes, Dyrk Ashton, and Michael R. Fletcher. He also hosts The Novel Analyst Podcast, where he deconstructs his favourite books to help listeners improve their writing. And because that isn't already enough podcasting, he also hosts the Half-Baked Stories podcast, an improv storytelling show where writers are locked in a room and given half an hour to combine three random ideas into a single story.
He loves hearing from fans, and you can email him at: jed.herne1 [at] gmail.com . He does his best to read and reply to every message.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 52 reviews
October 26, 2019
I mean, I wrote this. Can't exactly give it less than 5, can I?
October 20, 2019
Firstly, this is a novella do it's only 90 pages long or something. It doesn't have time to really set the universe up. However. I have read novellas that I enjoyed. I did not enjoy this book.
The characters were awful, no depth, I didn't care about any of them. There was a lot of action, but no explanation as to why. The magic system was odd, are there other magicians than pyromancers? I didn't like the colloquial writing style. I don't mind if a character talks in a colloquial style, but I don't need descriptions written like that. Using 'em instead of them is unacceptable.
I wasn't invested in the plot as I didn't understand why they wanted the skull until halfway through.
I'm sorry, its a hard no.
I received this ARC for free from book Sirens, in exchange for an honest review.
The characters were awful, no depth, I didn't care about any of them. There was a lot of action, but no explanation as to why. The magic system was odd, are there other magicians than pyromancers? I didn't like the colloquial writing style. I don't mind if a character talks in a colloquial style, but I don't need descriptions written like that. Using 'em instead of them is unacceptable.
I wasn't invested in the plot as I didn't understand why they wanted the skull until halfway through.
I'm sorry, its a hard no.
I received this ARC for free from book Sirens, in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2019
For someone who doesn't read much fantasy, Fires of the Dead surprisingly fulfilled my expectations. Although a little slow at times, the action and thrilling aspects surrounding the main character Wisp and the array of side characters present was enjoyable. A good introduction to the world of Pyromancy, which I'm not the biggest expert on. This is available on Kindle Unlimited, so snap this up fast for a lunch break read!
September 12, 2024
After stumbling upon some of Jed Herne's videos about writing on Youtube, I decided to read this to see whether his opinions were ones I should put any stock in. The result was my first one-star review on Goodreads.
There's just nothing to like about this. Okay. There is one thing. The magic system regarding fire magic has a bit of potential, (and is what inspired me to give this a try) but even that wasn't well explored in this story. Besides that, this novella is nothing but flat, unlikeable characters, random deaths that derail the narrative rather than further it, and copious, COPIOUS references to pissing and/or peeing. I'm not kidding. Characters talk about or think about pissing far over a dozen times in this story and it's not long. Most of this is the stupid bully mage character asking the same teenager if he's going to pee from fear every couple pages and then smiling to herself when she thinks about how he may be peeing himself that very moment.
I expressed that in a pretty hyperbolic way admittedly but the preoccupation with piss in this story is bewildering at best, and troubling at worst. In the first chapter, the characters are busy planning their attack on a fort, and then after they've had time to do that and travel over, the POV is suddenly thinking about how he has to pee right as the fight is starting. COME ON! YOU HAD TIME TO DO THAT EARLIER, MAN!
The structure of this book is that you cycle through several poorly characterized individuals, each section ending in their deaths. This means that by the end you're stuck with the characters you haven't seen the thoughts of at all and that are characterized the least. None of the characters are developed well, they are all very one-note and uninteresting, and this is at least in part because as soon as you start getting to know a character at all they suddenly die. Very cool.
The antagonists are probably the worst in class. For real, this is like the kind of villain characterization you'd do as an example of how to write antagonists poorly. They are all either 1) random mooks that die immediately, or 2) one cackling pyromancer whose thing is that she wanders around and kills people for no stated reason besides that she wants to. Literally, her only motivation is some vague comment about how she owns the forest they are in because of her connection to the family that used to live there. No further details are given. They may as well be fighting a bear for all the emotional depth she has.
Wisp, who is framed as the main character in the description but isn't really, is the "old man who dies one day from his retirement" trope played completely straight with not an ounce of self-awareness or humor. I couldn't even believe it. The other mage is basically just a sociopath whose thing is 1) power good, 2) weakness bad, and she spends most of the book torturing a teenaged boy and having zero redeeming qualities. The only event in this book I liked was when she died because I could not wait for her to stop existing.
I normally would have just read the first few pages of a book like this and been like "well, this is pretty typical for self-publishing" and put it down without another thought. What is infuriating about it is that this guy makes a living out of telling other people how to write and is CONSTANTLY using his own books of examples of how to write well/shilling his paid writing courses. Like, way more than any other writing Youtuber I've seen. Kindly, it could be that his newer books are better, but I'm not wasting any more time to find out.
There's just nothing to like about this. Okay. There is one thing. The magic system regarding fire magic has a bit of potential, (and is what inspired me to give this a try) but even that wasn't well explored in this story. Besides that, this novella is nothing but flat, unlikeable characters, random deaths that derail the narrative rather than further it, and copious, COPIOUS references to pissing and/or peeing. I'm not kidding. Characters talk about or think about pissing far over a dozen times in this story and it's not long. Most of this is the stupid bully mage character asking the same teenager if he's going to pee from fear every couple pages and then smiling to herself when she thinks about how he may be peeing himself that very moment.
I expressed that in a pretty hyperbolic way admittedly but the preoccupation with piss in this story is bewildering at best, and troubling at worst. In the first chapter, the characters are busy planning their attack on a fort, and then after they've had time to do that and travel over, the POV is suddenly thinking about how he has to pee right as the fight is starting. COME ON! YOU HAD TIME TO DO THAT EARLIER, MAN!
The structure of this book is that you cycle through several poorly characterized individuals, each section ending in their deaths. This means that by the end you're stuck with the characters you haven't seen the thoughts of at all and that are characterized the least. None of the characters are developed well, they are all very one-note and uninteresting, and this is at least in part because as soon as you start getting to know a character at all they suddenly die. Very cool.
The antagonists are probably the worst in class. For real, this is like the kind of villain characterization you'd do as an example of how to write antagonists poorly. They are all either 1) random mooks that die immediately, or 2) one cackling pyromancer whose thing is that she wanders around and kills people for no stated reason besides that she wants to. Literally, her only motivation is some vague comment about how she owns the forest they are in because of her connection to the family that used to live there. No further details are given. They may as well be fighting a bear for all the emotional depth she has.
Wisp, who is framed as the main character in the description but isn't really, is the "old man who dies one day from his retirement" trope played completely straight with not an ounce of self-awareness or humor. I couldn't even believe it. The other mage is basically just a sociopath whose thing is 1) power good, 2) weakness bad, and she spends most of the book torturing a teenaged boy and having zero redeeming qualities. The only event in this book I liked was when she died because I could not wait for her to stop existing.
I normally would have just read the first few pages of a book like this and been like "well, this is pretty typical for self-publishing" and put it down without another thought. What is infuriating about it is that this guy makes a living out of telling other people how to write and is CONSTANTLY using his own books of examples of how to write well/shilling his paid writing courses. Like, way more than any other writing Youtuber I've seen. Kindly, it could be that his newer books are better, but I'm not wasting any more time to find out.
November 12, 2019
* I received a free advance copy of this book from BookSirens, and would like to thank them, and the author, for the chance to review this book honestly *
This short story (around 90 pages) somehow manages to establish a well-explained magic system, and enough information about the world, and a decent story in a very small number of pages.
The story follows a small group of battle-worn mercenaries sent on a mission through the fire-ravaged wasteland to capture the skull of a dead pyromancer. Along the way they cross paths with other groups on similar missions as well as a stronger foe they had not intended to meet.
Herne has a talent for writing, that much is abundantly clear. His narrative is pithy, concise and very immersive. He changes PoV at a few points of the story, so the reader is given different viewpoints at different times (though sadly they don't change back again).
The characters are all uniquely defined and have their own place in the crew.
His story was well laid out, with some excellent, flowing action sequences. The story is well told and exposed at a good pace. There were a few small background details of the overall plot which I felt should have been outlined earlier, but given the character in question's background I can see why this happened this way.
My only complaint about this book was that it was too short. This could easily be expanded with more backstory and more information about the world without feeling padded out, I think. I would happily read this book again with another 300 pages of the same added in.
I will be reading the author's free short stories from his mailing list with relish.
This short story (around 90 pages) somehow manages to establish a well-explained magic system, and enough information about the world, and a decent story in a very small number of pages.
The story follows a small group of battle-worn mercenaries sent on a mission through the fire-ravaged wasteland to capture the skull of a dead pyromancer. Along the way they cross paths with other groups on similar missions as well as a stronger foe they had not intended to meet.
Herne has a talent for writing, that much is abundantly clear. His narrative is pithy, concise and very immersive. He changes PoV at a few points of the story, so the reader is given different viewpoints at different times (though sadly they don't change back again).
The characters are all uniquely defined and have their own place in the crew.
His story was well laid out, with some excellent, flowing action sequences. The story is well told and exposed at a good pace. There were a few small background details of the overall plot which I felt should have been outlined earlier, but given the character in question's background I can see why this happened this way.
My only complaint about this book was that it was too short. This could easily be expanded with more backstory and more information about the world without feeling padded out, I think. I would happily read this book again with another 300 pages of the same added in.
I will be reading the author's free short stories from his mailing list with relish.
October 11, 2024
I think I just expected more from the characters. I felt like they all had one personality trait and that was it. Also how how many times did I have to hear about this guys aching knees.
I will say I did like the world building, just wish we saw more of it.
I will say I did like the world building, just wish we saw more of it.
May 16, 2024
2.5/5 stars
I always thought that this book deserved a re-read. I was right about that. Sadly, it did the opposite of what I was hoping. Now that I've read it a second time, I feel that the first time around was better and that leaves me feeling a little bit.. sad. But one thing is sure: both times, I expected so much more from it and I didn't get it.
That being said...
The first thing to know about Fires of the Dead is that it sells itself as a 'fast-paced adventure with a unique magic system.' That, at least, is true. We follow a group of thieves tasked with recovering a treasure in a desolated land, ravaged by Pyromancy. And some of those characters are Pyromancers. The very best part about this book is the magic system and, as far as I know, it is pretty unique. The downside is that it isn't used nearly as much as I would want it to be. For instance, Jed Herne has a habit of relying on very conventional action scenes. In his defense, this is a pet peeve of mine: I'm not the biggest fan of actions scenes. But when I'd much rather see people fighting each other using cool Pyromancy rather than bashing each other over the head with swords in very basic description, it becomes harder to convert me. But, like I said, the magic system is cool, with enough explanation to satisfy hard-magic fans but without the extensive exposition that might put others off. Since the absence of magic was one of my biggest frustrations with Across the Broken Stars, it's worth noting it here.
The second thing to know about Fires of the Dead is that it uses a split POV formula. On paper, that looks amazing. In practice, it leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, it meant that a few characters revealed that they weren't quite as they appeared when described by others. And the first twist hits harder for it. All of that is unquestionable, especially the second time around when you know it's coming. But, beyond the initial shock value, it doesn't really go as far as it could. It raises the stakes appropriately, but that only works the first time. It doesn't help that, of all the characters, one doesn't get a POV at all, which feels like a let down. Beyond subverting expectations and shock value, this POV jump doesn't live up to its ambitions and feels a lot like style over substance, enough to reel me in but not to go beyond that premise.
The same goes for character development, which I remember as being better the first time around. Herne seems to fastfoward through it at times, dropping a few lines that look like character development but which are addressed so quickly that they feel like an afterthought. And the setup promises that each character POV will reveal something different about each of them, something that wasn't apparent immediately. But it fails to materialise and several characters are so thinly developed that it's hard to feel attach to them. Whether it's giving them a generic motivation, like lust for political power when you have actual power at your fingers tips (), or hinting that certain characters are smarter than they are for no other reason than you can (), or just playing around with the generic, such as the portrayal of weak characters (), Herne never breaks the mold with his characters. Not that he needs to be innovative with them either, but they have just enough personality to work, but not enough to make them memorable. He also has a tendency to focus on the same things, boiling down his characters to a bunch of traits. Wisp can't do anything without mentioning how bothersome his knees are, Fleetfoot is always jumping and throwing up because those are the things expected of the coward, and Marogan can't stop giving people a hard time. Once is fun, but it grows old quite quickly, especially when there isn't much to define them as characters beyond those traits.
And that is the long and short of Fires of the Dead. It sold itself as something quick with a unique trait, but it didn't work particularly hard to go beyond that. If that's all you're looking for, then this novella is perfect for you. I expect a little more from my fantasy.
I always thought that this book deserved a re-read. I was right about that. Sadly, it did the opposite of what I was hoping. Now that I've read it a second time, I feel that the first time around was better and that leaves me feeling a little bit.. sad. But one thing is sure: both times, I expected so much more from it and I didn't get it.
That being said...
The first thing to know about Fires of the Dead is that it sells itself as a 'fast-paced adventure with a unique magic system.' That, at least, is true. We follow a group of thieves tasked with recovering a treasure in a desolated land, ravaged by Pyromancy. And some of those characters are Pyromancers. The very best part about this book is the magic system and, as far as I know, it is pretty unique. The downside is that it isn't used nearly as much as I would want it to be. For instance, Jed Herne has a habit of relying on very conventional action scenes. In his defense, this is a pet peeve of mine: I'm not the biggest fan of actions scenes. But when I'd much rather see people fighting each other using cool Pyromancy rather than bashing each other over the head with swords in very basic description, it becomes harder to convert me. But, like I said, the magic system is cool, with enough explanation to satisfy hard-magic fans but without the extensive exposition that might put others off. Since the absence of magic was one of my biggest frustrations with Across the Broken Stars, it's worth noting it here.
The second thing to know about Fires of the Dead is that it uses a split POV formula. On paper, that looks amazing. In practice, it leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, it meant that a few characters revealed that they weren't quite as they appeared when described by others. And the first twist hits harder for it. All of that is unquestionable, especially the second time around when you know it's coming. But, beyond the initial shock value, it doesn't really go as far as it could. It raises the stakes appropriately, but that only works the first time. It doesn't help that, of all the characters, one doesn't get a POV at all, which feels like a let down. Beyond subverting expectations and shock value, this POV jump doesn't live up to its ambitions and feels a lot like style over substance, enough to reel me in but not to go beyond that premise.
The same goes for character development, which I remember as being better the first time around. Herne seems to fastfoward through it at times, dropping a few lines that look like character development but which are addressed so quickly that they feel like an afterthought. And the setup promises that each character POV will reveal something different about each of them, something that wasn't apparent immediately. But it fails to materialise and several characters are so thinly developed that it's hard to feel attach to them. Whether it's giving them a generic motivation, like lust for political power when you have actual power at your fingers tips (), or hinting that certain characters are smarter than they are for no other reason than you can (), or just playing around with the generic, such as the portrayal of weak characters (), Herne never breaks the mold with his characters. Not that he needs to be innovative with them either, but they have just enough personality to work, but not enough to make them memorable. He also has a tendency to focus on the same things, boiling down his characters to a bunch of traits. Wisp can't do anything without mentioning how bothersome his knees are, Fleetfoot is always jumping and throwing up because those are the things expected of the coward, and Marogan can't stop giving people a hard time. Once is fun, but it grows old quite quickly, especially when there isn't much to define them as characters beyond those traits.
And that is the long and short of Fires of the Dead. It sold itself as something quick with a unique trait, but it didn't work particularly hard to go beyond that. If that's all you're looking for, then this novella is perfect for you. I expect a little more from my fantasy.
July 5, 2025
(edited review)
The storywasn't bad... just really short. Edit: It was bad. Really bad, I don't know what I was on when I first wrote this review.
It was too short to give the characters real depth and make me actually care about them, to explain what the world looked like and how it worked. It had potential, but wasn't executed well at all.
Looking back at this, I cannot believe the poor quality, considering the author has a youtube channel dedicated to teaching how to write books.
---
I liked the magic system, it's pretty unique, the stakes are high. I watched one of the authors writing tips YT video where he was describing the magic system of this story (which is how I came to read this book), so I'm not sure how well I would understand it if I didn't know prior to reading how it works. Unfortunately there isn't time to discover it more deeply.
There weren't many descriptions of anything, really. Not the country(?) the story took place in, not the characters - we have no idea how they look like, we don't know the scale of things (how many Ancestral Flames are there? 5, 20, 60?).
I did not like the writing. Especially the colloquial passages from Wisp. There is a badly written fight scene (Chapter 11, Marogan x Clubhead) that was supposed to feel thrilling and fast paced but was just one big paragraph with no punctuation with overuse of the word "and".
What annoyed me the most was the repetition. Wisp was always reminding us that he's old, Marogan smirked all the time, Fleetfoot would always gulp. AND THE WORD PISS. Why was it on like every other page - when you have such a short book, you need to be careful about the word choice, because repetitive descriptions and phrases are much more noticeable. From Wisp mentioning his full bladder on the first page, to Marogan constantly asking Fleetfood if he's about to piss himself, it became uncomfortable to read. Why. Why. Ew.
It's just a bunch of characters with like one characteristic, which is repeated over and over. We don't have time to explore anything about them, there's no time for a character arc, no backstory, because the book is too short.
Overall, I wish the author maybe came back to this world in the future with more writing experience and wrote a longer book - maybe even series. I think the world and magic system has a lot of potential.
---
Actually, now i think this was a quick story the author wrote and self-published, just so he can make his YT videos and say Yeah look, I have written some books and self-published them, I can now make How to's and how not to's and share all my tips...
It is so bad, it feels like a cash crab, there was definitely no editor, this is not (in my opinion) good enough to be published, to cost any money, I really had to change this to an almost a rant review, because wtf was this. I cannot understand how someone can make videos about writing with generally good tips and information (from what I've seen or remember), yet publish this and proudly talk about it and using it as an example.
That is my updated opinion.
The story
It was too short to give the characters real depth and make me actually care about them, to explain what the world looked like and how it worked. It had potential, but wasn't executed well at all.
Looking back at this, I cannot believe the poor quality, considering the author has a youtube channel dedicated to teaching how to write books.
---
I liked the magic system, it's pretty unique, the stakes are high. I watched one of the authors writing tips YT video where he was describing the magic system of this story (which is how I came to read this book), so I'm not sure how well I would understand it if I didn't know prior to reading how it works. Unfortunately there isn't time to discover it more deeply.
There weren't many descriptions of anything, really. Not the country(?) the story took place in, not the characters - we have no idea how they look like, we don't know the scale of things (how many Ancestral Flames are there? 5, 20, 60?).
I did not like the writing. Especially the colloquial passages from Wisp. There is a badly written fight scene (Chapter 11, Marogan x Clubhead) that was supposed to feel thrilling and fast paced but was just one big paragraph with no punctuation with overuse of the word "and".
What annoyed me the most was the repetition. Wisp was always reminding us that he's old, Marogan smirked all the time, Fleetfoot would always gulp. AND THE WORD PISS. Why was it on like every other page - when you have such a short book, you need to be careful about the word choice, because repetitive descriptions and phrases are much more noticeable. From Wisp mentioning his full bladder on the first page, to Marogan constantly asking Fleetfood if he's about to piss himself, it became uncomfortable to read. Why. Why. Ew.
It's just a bunch of characters with like one characteristic, which is repeated over and over. We don't have time to explore anything about them, there's no time for a character arc, no backstory, because the book is too short.
Overall, I wish the author maybe came back to this world in the future with more writing experience and wrote a longer book - maybe even series. I think the world and magic system has a lot of potential.
---
Actually, now i think this was a quick story the author wrote and self-published, just so he can make his YT videos and say Yeah look, I have written some books and self-published them, I can now make How to's and how not to's and share all my tips...
It is so bad, it feels like a cash crab, there was definitely no editor, this is not (in my opinion) good enough to be published, to cost any money, I really had to change this to an almost a rant review, because wtf was this. I cannot understand how someone can make videos about writing with generally good tips and information (from what I've seen or remember), yet publish this and proudly talk about it and using it as an example.
That is my updated opinion.
March 20, 2024
It was only okay. The story had an interesting premise, but I didn't really like any of the characters. I didn't understand where the main protagonist came from, and there was what I would call a "forced romance" between two of the characters. The magic system was okay and not terribly interesting.
I was surprised at how mediocre (borderline bad) the prose was - there was an entire paragraph that was one single run-on sentence. For someone who gives writing advice online, I expected a little more. I started another of his novels, and I'm getting the same feeling with that one too.
I hate judging fellow self-published authors poorly, but this is more of a 2.5-star book, in my opinion.
I was surprised at how mediocre (borderline bad) the prose was - there was an entire paragraph that was one single run-on sentence. For someone who gives writing advice online, I expected a little more. I started another of his novels, and I'm getting the same feeling with that one too.
I hate judging fellow self-published authors poorly, but this is more of a 2.5-star book, in my opinion.
March 18, 2020
Fires of the Dead is a fact-paced fantasy this details a magic unlike any I have read about before. The characters are realistic and the world-building is great. Not for the weak stomached reader. I enjoyed it very much and it was a fast read. I love the ending.
Read via Kindle Unlimited
Read via Kindle Unlimited
March 3, 2020
An interesting and fast-paced story. I am not used to reading novellas as they have limited potential of deep characters and interesting plot-lines. The story had a lot of potential and the author could have made into a complete novel since the setting was indeed interesting and so were the characters. Reading this made me realize how much I miss the fantasy genre, definitely one of my favorite genres.
March 12, 2020
Great
You won't regret reading "Fires of the Dead". A unique read that anyone will enjoy. I was truly impressed with how this story was told.
You won't regret reading "Fires of the Dead". A unique read that anyone will enjoy. I was truly impressed with how this story was told.
March 8, 2021
As one of the author's first books, this is awesome. The characters come across as unique, and this is made even more clear with the shifting perspectives and character voices. You really get a feel for the 'engine' that drives each character. Also remarkable that such a cast was so well expressed in such a short amount of time. Fast paced with compelling action scenes and enough little twists and intrigue to keep you turning pages.
September 23, 2019
**I received a digital ARC of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
I typically do not read a whole lot of novellas, unless they're connected to a series I'm reading, but this one was definitely worth my read!I really enjoyed the character. Each one had such different personalities, so I actually really enjoyed the multiple perspectives. There were characters I really liked, and characters I didn't like, but still liked reading from them. I'm kind of always a fan of the "love to hate" type characters anyway though, so I enjoyed that character in this for me. Fleetfoot was my favorite just because he's just so cute. Maybe a little too much of a scaredy cat, but still so cute, haha!
I thought the writing was really great. I enjoyed it a lot. The story kept my attention. I honestly did not put this one down til I finished. Yes, it was short, but still. I was so interested in the story and needed to know what was going to happen by the end.
For a novella, I think that Herne did a good job of still touching on the characters' history. I would have liked a bit more of each one, especially Breeze, but I think being able to even add in a little for each without it getting too long-winded for a short book was really good writing. I also really loved the pyromancy aspect, it was really interesting to me! I liked that Wisp had the Sight. That was a cool unique ability as well.
Overall, I thought this was a really enjoyable novella. Fast paced, interesting plot, good characters. The only thing I'd suggest would be to build the romance a bit (I didn't totally believe it, but only because I didn't feel like it had the time it needed to build a bit) and a little more world building. I would have loved to have read more in the story!
Thanks so much to the author for providing me with an early copy of this book!
Find this review and more: https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...
I typically do not read a whole lot of novellas, unless they're connected to a series I'm reading, but this one was definitely worth my read!I really enjoyed the character. Each one had such different personalities, so I actually really enjoyed the multiple perspectives. There were characters I really liked, and characters I didn't like, but still liked reading from them. I'm kind of always a fan of the "love to hate" type characters anyway though, so I enjoyed that character in this for me. Fleetfoot was my favorite just because he's just so cute. Maybe a little too much of a scaredy cat, but still so cute, haha!
I thought the writing was really great. I enjoyed it a lot. The story kept my attention. I honestly did not put this one down til I finished. Yes, it was short, but still. I was so interested in the story and needed to know what was going to happen by the end.
For a novella, I think that Herne did a good job of still touching on the characters' history. I would have liked a bit more of each one, especially Breeze, but I think being able to even add in a little for each without it getting too long-winded for a short book was really good writing. I also really loved the pyromancy aspect, it was really interesting to me! I liked that Wisp had the Sight. That was a cool unique ability as well.
Overall, I thought this was a really enjoyable novella. Fast paced, interesting plot, good characters. The only thing I'd suggest would be to build the romance a bit (I didn't totally believe it, but only because I didn't feel like it had the time it needed to build a bit) and a little more world building. I would have loved to have read more in the story!
Thanks so much to the author for providing me with an early copy of this book!
Find this review and more: https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...
February 10, 2020
A common misconception about fantasy novels is that they are all epic, thousand page long tomes. Yes, some of them are. I’ve even read a few myself. Authors that come to mind include George R R Martin and Brandon Sanderson. Those are just two examples. Fires of the Dead proves that you don’t need to write reams of narrative to fit all the components of a classic fantasy novel into one tale.
A number of personalities shine through in the narrative, predominantly seen through the eyes of the man that recruited them all for the job, Wisp. Wisp himself is a refreshing character to read. Intent to retire on the riches the job has promised to yield, Wisp imagines it’s his last job – and about bloody time too! His brutal honesty and almost pessimist attitude add a lot of humour to the tale.
Wisp isn’t the only narrator of the tale, however, and in a couple of places, I felt his narrative voice bled through into other parts of the book not written from his perspective. Maybe there is a logical explanation for that. The characters have known each other for a while, so perhaps they have picked up each other’s speech patterns, use of slang and such. That said, the moments were few and far between, making me think it wasn’t entirely intentional. It didn’t have a huge impact on my enjoyment of the book though.
World-building, magic (in particular pyromancy), character development and an enjoyable action-packed plotline all come together in just under 200 pages. I personally loved the roguish, ramshackle nature of the band undertaking the quest to retrieve a magical relic. There’s just enough history touched upon for the reader to bond with the characters without hampering the action or clogging up the narrative with excessive detail.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for providing me with a copy of the novella in exchange for an honest review!
A number of personalities shine through in the narrative, predominantly seen through the eyes of the man that recruited them all for the job, Wisp. Wisp himself is a refreshing character to read. Intent to retire on the riches the job has promised to yield, Wisp imagines it’s his last job – and about bloody time too! His brutal honesty and almost pessimist attitude add a lot of humour to the tale.
Wisp isn’t the only narrator of the tale, however, and in a couple of places, I felt his narrative voice bled through into other parts of the book not written from his perspective. Maybe there is a logical explanation for that. The characters have known each other for a while, so perhaps they have picked up each other’s speech patterns, use of slang and such. That said, the moments were few and far between, making me think it wasn’t entirely intentional. It didn’t have a huge impact on my enjoyment of the book though.
World-building, magic (in particular pyromancy), character development and an enjoyable action-packed plotline all come together in just under 200 pages. I personally loved the roguish, ramshackle nature of the band undertaking the quest to retrieve a magical relic. There’s just enough history touched upon for the reader to bond with the characters without hampering the action or clogging up the narrative with excessive detail.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for providing me with a copy of the novella in exchange for an honest review!
October 21, 2019
I received this book as an ARC and am giving it my honest, voluntary review.
This was a quick read and a good introduction to anything that might follow. The synopsis I read sounds like a D&D campaign: a group of adventurers with varied skills trying to complete a quest. It didn't play out like a game campaign. I was definitely reading a story.
The group of five are led by a pyromancer named Wisp. Wisp is in his early 50's, which is quite a lifespan for someone such as he; a pyromancer and a criminal for hire. The remainder of his group are people much younger. There is another pyromancer, a 'thief', a large man of great fighting ability and a navigator. They have been hired by a local noble man of considerable power to retrieve an artifact which will bestow even more power.
The group must navigate through a forest which succumbed to a great burning several years earlier. The fire not only destroyed the forest, but also the castle/stronghold of another noble man. That noble's entire family perished in the flames. Wisp and his companions are seeking an item that should be found in the ruins of the castle.
Along the way, they encounter another group which is definitely seeking the same item. They must figure out a way to eliminate the competition and then move forward to the castle. At this point, telling more of the plot would reveal spoilers.
The tale was well written. The characters could have been better fleshed out, but the author revealed enough to whet the appetite for more. The obstacles to completing the quest were believable and kept me interested in seeing how the story would resolve. There are twists along the way. I certainly hope this is a prequel to a larger tale.
This was a quick read and a good introduction to anything that might follow. The synopsis I read sounds like a D&D campaign: a group of adventurers with varied skills trying to complete a quest. It didn't play out like a game campaign. I was definitely reading a story.
The group of five are led by a pyromancer named Wisp. Wisp is in his early 50's, which is quite a lifespan for someone such as he; a pyromancer and a criminal for hire. The remainder of his group are people much younger. There is another pyromancer, a 'thief', a large man of great fighting ability and a navigator. They have been hired by a local noble man of considerable power to retrieve an artifact which will bestow even more power.
The group must navigate through a forest which succumbed to a great burning several years earlier. The fire not only destroyed the forest, but also the castle/stronghold of another noble man. That noble's entire family perished in the flames. Wisp and his companions are seeking an item that should be found in the ruins of the castle.
Along the way, they encounter another group which is definitely seeking the same item. They must figure out a way to eliminate the competition and then move forward to the castle. At this point, telling more of the plot would reveal spoilers.
The tale was well written. The characters could have been better fleshed out, but the author revealed enough to whet the appetite for more. The obstacles to completing the quest were believable and kept me interested in seeing how the story would resolve. There are twists along the way. I certainly hope this is a prequel to a larger tale.
November 11, 2019
Fires of the Dead is the debut novella Australian author Jed Herne. It's a heist book wrapped in a sweaty fantasy world of fire and death where a rag-tag group of thieves, miscreants, thugs and liars try to pull off an almost impossible task for a Baron in a far-off city. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character and as you progress through the novella, hearing more about the world and the people in it, the diverging motives of each character become clear. So much attention was poured into the first character's narrative that I was almost disoriented by the sudden perspective-shift when I reached chapter two, but I quickly discovered that all of the characters are given this kind of loving limelight, at least for a little while.
My only critique is that I wish the narration was told in first-person for each character rather than in third. I feel like that small adjustment would have deepened my connection to each character and really allowed me to sympathise with these morally-questionable people. All in all though, Fires of the Dead is a terrific fantasy debut that takes bold risks and delivers a thoroughly enjoyable romp through a strange world of magic and thievery.
Fires of the Dead is a super quick read (I actually read the whole thing while up all night because I slurped down a mega-strong coffee at 11 p.m.) and there's enough meat on its bones to finish it in one session. If you're looking for a fantasy read that's quick and digestible or if you want to support Australian artists, give Fires of the Dead a read.
My only critique is that I wish the narration was told in first-person for each character rather than in third. I feel like that small adjustment would have deepened my connection to each character and really allowed me to sympathise with these morally-questionable people. All in all though, Fires of the Dead is a terrific fantasy debut that takes bold risks and delivers a thoroughly enjoyable romp through a strange world of magic and thievery.
Fires of the Dead is a super quick read (I actually read the whole thing while up all night because I slurped down a mega-strong coffee at 11 p.m.) and there's enough meat on its bones to finish it in one session. If you're looking for a fantasy read that's quick and digestible or if you want to support Australian artists, give Fires of the Dead a read.
December 29, 2019
Crouching was murder on the knees.
Wisp is a pyromancer: a magician who draws energy from fires to make his own flames. He’s also a criminal, one job away from retirement. And it can’t come bloody soon enough.
Leading his misfit crew, Wisp ventures into a charred and barren forest to find a relic that could change the realm forever. But they aren’t the only ones on the hunt, and the forest isn’t as barren as it seems…
I'm not usually a fan of shorts, as I never feel there is enough time to sufficiently get a feel for the world building or characters, but this one was surprisingly engaging enough. The pyromancy and ancient flames were an intriguing concept...paired with rivaling gangs and things could get super interesting for future iterations.
The novella is broken into four POV: Wisp, Black Eye, Marogan, and Fleetfoot. While I found this distracting, it did nothing to interrupt the non-stop action of their mission and did allow for a more personal feel of the team. However, Breeze + Fleetfoot? Come on.
Regardless, Wisp was probably my favorite since he was a grump and his various aches and pains were humorously littered throughout the narrative.
Recommended for those wanting a face-paced, quick read with magic.
Thank you to Book Sirens for providing an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2019
Realistically, I'd give 3.5/5 stars if I could. It was good. Honestly, I can't muster any stronger feelings than that either negatively or positively.
It was billed to me a YA, but did not read like YA at all. It was relatively short, in a way that didn't feel like a novella, but more like it just needed to be fleshed out more. I never felt much for the characters so when anything happened to them, I kind of just shrugged and moved on. A little before halfway through, it seemed you could predict the remaining course of the novel, which is exactly how it played out.
I don't hate novellas as a rule. Some stories aren't meant to be 7 large books, but here it didn't feel like it needed to be a novella or was necessarily served best by being one. The author clearly has skill. I think if this story was fleshed out, it could easily get way closer to 5 stars for me.
On the positive side, the story was interesting and thrilling. The characters were varied. I didn't feel like I got to know any of them except the lady Pyromancer (I literally just finished this book an hour ago and forgot her name) who seemed like she could be a good story. I'm guessing this is a result of there actually being another short story surrounding her.
If you have Kindle Unlimited, I'd pick it up to occupy an afternoon. Soft recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was billed to me a YA, but did not read like YA at all. It was relatively short, in a way that didn't feel like a novella, but more like it just needed to be fleshed out more. I never felt much for the characters so when anything happened to them, I kind of just shrugged and moved on. A little before halfway through, it seemed you could predict the remaining course of the novel, which is exactly how it played out.
I don't hate novellas as a rule. Some stories aren't meant to be 7 large books, but here it didn't feel like it needed to be a novella or was necessarily served best by being one. The author clearly has skill. I think if this story was fleshed out, it could easily get way closer to 5 stars for me.
On the positive side, the story was interesting and thrilling. The characters were varied. I didn't feel like I got to know any of them except the lady Pyromancer (I literally just finished this book an hour ago and forgot her name) who seemed like she could be a good story. I'm guessing this is a result of there actually being another short story surrounding her.
If you have Kindle Unlimited, I'd pick it up to occupy an afternoon. Soft recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 22, 2019
So I received a free review copy of this Novella from the author, hence why I'm reviewing it before it's even released, but this is all my own opinion.
I don't often read novellas - I'm more of a full blown hefty scifi/fantasy tome kinda gal, so this was a different experience for me - but I loved it.
I really enjoyed the fast pace of plot and the characterisation just clicked for me. I found it facsinating how the diverse range of characters gave such different interpretations of the same world, and how cleverly their personalities were fleshed out in such a short time.
The concept of pyromancers is compeletly new to me, and I have a weakness of magic systems that have a barrier to access that few are willing to step over.
In summary I found Fires of the Dead to be a great fanatsy novella, a real page turner (it gave me goosebumps), I highly recommend it.
I don't often read novellas - I'm more of a full blown hefty scifi/fantasy tome kinda gal, so this was a different experience for me - but I loved it.
I really enjoyed the fast pace of plot and the characterisation just clicked for me. I found it facsinating how the diverse range of characters gave such different interpretations of the same world, and how cleverly their personalities were fleshed out in such a short time.
The concept of pyromancers is compeletly new to me, and I have a weakness of magic systems that have a barrier to access that few are willing to step over.
In summary I found Fires of the Dead to be a great fanatsy novella, a real page turner (it gave me goosebumps), I highly recommend it.
March 23, 2020
Dark and gritty
I really enjoyed this shirt story. It was fast and entertaining the whole way through. I would recommend to anyone who likes dark fantasy.
I really enjoyed this shirt story. It was fast and entertaining the whole way through. I would recommend to anyone who likes dark fantasy.
November 14, 2019
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I liked this. I think it was creative and interesting. I would give it credit for being fairly strong in captivating the reader in just eighty something pages. It has a decent magical system in place and I found it intriguing. I didn’t care very much for the characters which is why I think I didn’t get extremely attached but overall I still enjoyed the story enough to mostly overcome that hiccup. It’s quickly paced and throws you through a few loops involving these characters that I think worked in it’s favor. It was generally a decent read, but I didn’t feel any strong attachment until the end and even then it was pretty much out of necessity. However, I think the premise was strong enough that I’d be willing to read more if this were to release as a series at some point but as a standalone, I think it was just missing a bit of development for me to really sink into it, as well as lacking in characters that I find likable or developed enough.
I liked this. I think it was creative and interesting. I would give it credit for being fairly strong in captivating the reader in just eighty something pages. It has a decent magical system in place and I found it intriguing. I didn’t care very much for the characters which is why I think I didn’t get extremely attached but overall I still enjoyed the story enough to mostly overcome that hiccup. It’s quickly paced and throws you through a few loops involving these characters that I think worked in it’s favor. It was generally a decent read, but I didn’t feel any strong attachment until the end and even then it was pretty much out of necessity. However, I think the premise was strong enough that I’d be willing to read more if this were to release as a series at some point but as a standalone, I think it was just missing a bit of development for me to really sink into it, as well as lacking in characters that I find likable or developed enough.
January 24, 2020
I could not put this book down! I wanted to keep on reading and not sleep, and ended up the next day being a very moody person with a good story on the brain. I am so glad I read this and will be keeping an eye on books by this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
September 29, 2019
I haven't read fantasy in a long time but it used to be one of my go-to genres, and this novella reminded me why. I really loved the world that was built in this, particularly the focus on pyromancy. The way it was described and how the characters strategised was really interesting. I also thought there was a great balance of drama and humour.
I would have liked a little more background describing the world and the notorious figures/families that are mentioned. The context provided was still great especially given the limited length of the book - however I think I would have actually loved to read this as a novel-length piece that delved a bit deeper into the history of the world.
Overall, a really great read and something I would recommend to anyone who loves a fast-paced fantasy read. I'm excited to see what comes next from this author!
I would have liked a little more background describing the world and the notorious figures/families that are mentioned. The context provided was still great especially given the limited length of the book - however I think I would have actually loved to read this as a novel-length piece that delved a bit deeper into the history of the world.
Overall, a really great read and something I would recommend to anyone who loves a fast-paced fantasy read. I'm excited to see what comes next from this author!
January 29, 2023
A self-published debut novella from a relatively unknown author. I was introduced to Jed Herne via some twitter competitions, and on the back of that decided to try out some of his work. This novella is held together beautifully by a clever and unique magic system. The pyromancy that that forms centerpiece of the story involves mages bonding to fires with their blood and using that to power their magic.
The characters drawn together in the story are very gritty, with a good feeling for the relationships between them. This novella definitely borrows from the grimdark subgenre with the morally grey nature of its protagonists, and with its body count. The shifting POV as the gang is whittled down over the course of the story is also a clever structure.
An impressive debut. I look forward to trying more of his works. Based on what I have read so far he deserves more recognition.
The characters drawn together in the story are very gritty, with a good feeling for the relationships between them. This novella definitely borrows from the grimdark subgenre with the morally grey nature of its protagonists, and with its body count. The shifting POV as the gang is whittled down over the course of the story is also a clever structure.
An impressive debut. I look forward to trying more of his works. Based on what I have read so far he deserves more recognition.
November 28, 2019
Spoiler free review:
Fires of the Dead is a gripping, fun, twisted tale of a band of misfit thieves as they adventure through charred forest to retrieve a valuable, magical item with a mega payload. Whilst (saddeningly) short, this enthralling heist/ survival/ adventure novella really satisfies in terms of both the characters you get to know and the obstacles they must overcome. Be prepared to smash this book out in one reading; you'll be left wondering what's next at every damn turn. I can't wait to follow the rest of this young author's career!
Fires of the Dead is a gripping, fun, twisted tale of a band of misfit thieves as they adventure through charred forest to retrieve a valuable, magical item with a mega payload. Whilst (saddeningly) short, this enthralling heist/ survival/ adventure novella really satisfies in terms of both the characters you get to know and the obstacles they must overcome. Be prepared to smash this book out in one reading; you'll be left wondering what's next at every damn turn. I can't wait to follow the rest of this young author's career!
January 6, 2020
A really well written story.
Good pacing, great characterisation, descriptive action and a world with its own lore and history that is shown to the reader organically. The book doesn't bring many new concepts to the table but where it lacks in originality it makes up in quality. It might err a bit too much on the grimdark side for some people but Fires of the Dead is a really well told fantasy story that has a well-rounded cast and an engaging story.
A book that I'd recommend to any lover of fantasy stories. I look forward to what Herne has next in store for us.
Good pacing, great characterisation, descriptive action and a world with its own lore and history that is shown to the reader organically. The book doesn't bring many new concepts to the table but where it lacks in originality it makes up in quality. It might err a bit too much on the grimdark side for some people but Fires of the Dead is a really well told fantasy story that has a well-rounded cast and an engaging story.
A book that I'd recommend to any lover of fantasy stories. I look forward to what Herne has next in store for us.
September 25, 2019
Quite good fantasy novella with some surprises.
This book centres around Pyromancers, manipulating and mainly killing using fire. It also involves a quest to find more power to fuel the flames. Having also read the prequel, Ascendant flames, about Marogan, I enjoyed this tale involving a group of diverse and interesting characters. There’s plenty of action and surprises along the way. A good effort at fantasy writing. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 8, 2019
[ARC Review I was not paid for]
We were thrown into the action quite literally. In a world where fire rules supreme, and the privileged rule the afterlife, a band of thieves and goons challenge what holds their world together. The book introduced characters well through each chapter, however the main intricacies of the world were only introduced in the last 2 chapters. Overall, a promising read with interesting characters. (3.5/5)
We were thrown into the action quite literally. In a world where fire rules supreme, and the privileged rule the afterlife, a band of thieves and goons challenge what holds their world together. The book introduced characters well through each chapter, however the main intricacies of the world were only introduced in the last 2 chapters. Overall, a promising read with interesting characters. (3.5/5)
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