Dusk Mountain Blues

Dusk Orbit Blues #1

by Deston J. Munden

The Caldwells have one goal in life: to be left alone. They’ve been living on the backwater planet of C’dar for years, smuggling and scavenging their way to a comfortable life on their Homestead. But you know the saying about all good things – they come to an end. The Civilization wasn’t content with falling apart the first time and has finally caught wind of the ol’ boys and girls on their little rock in the middle of nowhere. Ain’t nothing much they can do about that, though…except fight ’em.

It all comes down to three generations of Caldwells— Luke “Drifter” Caldwell, Woodrow “Appetite” Caldwell, and Cassie “Kindle” Caldwell—as they fend for everything they call home.

What is isolation worth?

Great for fans of Gareth L. Powell, James S. A. Corey, X-Men, Firefly, Mass Effect, and Red Dead Redemption.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Space Opera, Fiction

406 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2016

About the author

Deston “D.J.” Munden is a fantasy and science fiction author, living near the Outerbanks of North Carolina. Somewhere in the vague realm of his late twenties and early thirties, he lives with his brother in a small house in the woods where he taught himself how to imagine and write down worlds with orcs, swords, and magic (and sometimes mutants and spaceships). When he’s not writing, he’s playing video games with his best buds, rolling horribly on multisided dice, eating double his weight in food, trying out new recipes, collecting samurai memorabilia and watching as much anime and reading as much manga as humanly possible (sometimes doing more than one of these things at once).

His current work includes the Dargath Chronicles novels and Dusk Mountain Blues, his scifi webseries. He’s a huge fan of the fantasy and science fiction genre, including both the modern and classic works. Nothing he loves more than finding new authors all over the genre and then recommending them to all of his friends (that are willing to listen at this point). This will be his official debut in the fantasy world he has grown up in (at least in his head) his entire life.

Reviews

[William Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for SPSFC Semifinalists!

Overall Thoughts
Alright folks, I think I’ve found what I really wanted out of this contest, and I’ll be surprised if any others pass this one to land at the top of my list. Dusk Mountain Blues is like nothing I’ve read. Take a little bit of Deliverance, a little bit of Firefly, a touch of Gideon the Ninth, and some X-Men thrown in for good measure. But like any good book, it’s about family. Now I will say I might be a bit biased as I’m a North Carolina local and this takes so much from the ties and traditions of Appalachia, but it never feels like a caricature of the culture. There’s some dialect in this, “gonna” and “ain’t” and “gotcha” and the like, but it never interfered with me reading. I did note a few typos and omitted words here and there, but I was so pulled into the story they didn’t even make me pause.

Plot
The book slowly reveals the large Caldwell clan, headed by five patriarchs who were experimented on and mutated by a much larger space civilization. Each character in the book has some superpower, and they’re all individual and unique—not your standard superhero powers. The family mainly wants to be left alone to continue their backwater existence, but the soldiers of the Civilization, the Bluecoats, are intent on wiping them out. Throughout the book, the stakes keep getting upped, forcing the characters to grow. Even though there are amazingly overpowered battles, it still feels real to the story told. The best thing about this was that this story had a definite end, but it left me wanting more—in a good way. I can tell there’s so much more in this story and this universe, and I want to continue the tale.

Setting
Just as strong as the plot is the setting. The planet C’dar is in many ways similar to North Carolina, with mountains, swamps, cities, and plains. It’s a very real place, though most of the action takes place in the lush hills where the Caldwells have settled. Having traveled through the mountains of NC many times, I can absolutely see the hand-made tools the Caldwells use, as well as their houses, fixed up and broken-down machinery, and their custom weapons. There are hints about the universe past this one planet, and it’s stated many times as a backwater. We see just enough hints of more advanced technology to know that even though the abilities and machines of the Caldwells are impressive, they’re just one little rebelling cog in a much larger machine.

Character
This brings me to the real heart of the book, the characters. This is told in a close perspective, over the shoulders of three generations of Caldwells: Drifter, a patriarch, Appetite, his son, and Kindle, Appetite’s daughter. Those are their nicknames, because all the Caldwells have monikers linked to their individual mutations. But their real names are used as well, and I was impressed that I was able to jump from one to another with ease as they were stated in the text. That tells me the characters are well set in my mind. There’s no overt LGBTQ representation, but there were a couple instances of different genders, and a general acceptance of people who are different, no matter what they look like.

Each generation of the family grows during the book, even Drifter, though he’s already been through a lot in his life. The Caldwells are a family of scoundrels, living off the scraps of the Civilization. But we root for them all the way because they’re set challenges that keep getting steeper and steeper, and just like generations of Appalachia folks in our world, they dig deep and rise to each one. There are villains and heroes and those in between, heartwarming moments and betrayals, grand revelations and very quiet moments, but I was rapt for the whole thing. There’s a lot more I want to write here, and I’ve been thinking about this universe all day, which is the main reason this story is coming out on top.

Score out of 10 (My personal score, not the final contest score)
Science fantasy at its best with very real characters and a fully fleshed out world, underdogs and ships and guns and overpowered battles and quiet family moments. I want to read more of these books, which is why I’m giving it my first 10/10.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s my list of things I loved about this one:

Munden has a real gift for creating crazy/wack characters. Like in Tavern (which I also loved), these characters are gritty and magical, but at the same time real and full of conflict. I just stuck right by this family. So much fun. The patriarch, Drifter wanting to protect his family but at the same time willing to turn up the heat on any of his enemies. One of his sons, a bruiser names Appetite, you know why… people think he’s slow in mind and body, but his methodical care of his daughter is all consuming and full of love. And that special daughter, Kindle… she’s without a mother but that side of the family will give her an opportunity to help all on the planet.

How can two books and two worlds be so different? A traditional fantasy setting in Tavern and now a distant planet in Dusk Mountain Blues. The key to both is the consistency in the clean worldbuilding. At no time did I feel that lag of time between scene enjoyment and context. Munden fills a world with societies and families and items of lore without bogging us down in pages and pages of needless description.

One more thing: Each chapter shifts the POV between the family members to give the reader an inside look into each perspective. It works and it works well.

This is great indie/ selfpub SFF. It needs to be read and word needs to be passed on!

Dusk Mountain Blues is the story of a family that been messed with too many times and will do anything to protect their way of life. Their life of salvage, moonshine, and guns… but it’s the world they love. Read it!

For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2020/04/11/du...

For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog

[Margaret Adelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't the first book the author has sent me for review and I knew going in that we were going to get a genre turned on it's head. And it was definitely worth the ride.

Right out of the gate, the characters are immediately larger-than-life and loveable. The Caldwells are that hillbilly family you've seen on old TV shows with strange nicknames, gruff but loving patriarchs, and a strong emphasis on family ties. If you've ever watched a movie on Prohibition moonshiners and thought "but what if they were mutants?" this is the book for you.

The author has also shown a lot of improvement on worldbuilding from his first published novel. C'dar feels real and developed, but without giant paragraphs of exposition. Instead, it's unveiled bit by bit as the characters move through it. Viewing it through the eyes of characters that love their home gives an emotional depth to the descriptions. I particularly loved the New Orleans vibes from the Swamp.

The plot doesn't begin that quickly, but it's well paced. There are giant life or death fight scenes, with emotional scenes in between. Appetite is one of my favorite character archetypes: the loving gentle giant, whose moments raising hell are all the more impactful in their rarity. His relationship with his daughter is adorable and heartwarming. There are themes of the older generations needing to step aside and make way for the younger ones and it was beautifully bittersweet.

In reviewing sci-fi books, I like to evaluate whether or not they would be a good avenue in getting into what can be an overwhelming genre. While this book may not be a universal in for everyone, it is a good way to get into sci-fi if you're already into certain genres. If you love tales of Prohibition moonshiners or any story involving hillbillies and shotguns, this is your ticket. They're the same kind of rural rednecks fighting the law... only they're mutants and the law is upheld by cyborgs. And honestly, who wouldn't want that?

[Anna Bridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, the family dynamic and character development is phenomenal. The level of depth created is such a wonderful gift and I am truly excited to read the next book!

[Ziggy Nixon]

No rating, which I'll get to in a minute.

I picked up a copy of "Dusk Mountain Blues" as part of my on-going efforts to sample as many entrants in the current @theSPSFC contest as possible! And I can certainly see why DJ.Munden's offer caught the eye of the judges! It is an immensely creative and exceedingly original piece of work, spanning from not only scifi but also hero-lit and well-beyond. This story even had some personal connections to me (and not only because, like the author, I hail from NC!). I found myself identifying in more ways than expected with many of our protagonists, as my own family has their origins in the deepest parts of the Appalachians. I mean, who would have seen that kind of connection coming in a book like this? Wowzers! But a lot of the story indeed reminds me of the back country where not only my parents learned to drive, but also where NASCAR was born from the exhaust and raging fires that hundreds of moonshine runners laid upon tiny mountain roads for generations! I can still remember both sides of the family telling stories about same, including some of them glorifying how a souped up Chevy managed to fly away from the local Sheriff with the best hooch you ever tasted in the back. Or even, in worst case, how the runners met their end off the side of a mountain (and then exploding spectacularly as their cargo went up). So a lot of parallels here with what we see happening in the book almost right away!

Munden's characters - good, bad and possibly somewhere in-between - are for the most part well-developed and there's someone for just about everyone to find a kinship with! I read another review where a fellow reader felt closest to Drifter - one of the main pillars of the Caldwell clan and a damn scary mutant in his own right - whereas I found myself much more drawn to two of his young'uns, namely, Appetite and Loner! But good golly, what great names - and powers - for all these folks! And that's not just countin' the more human-y types either - which to be fair were for the most part the bad guys! There's a little in here really for just about any fan of scifi to just really enjoy and latch onto, from again, genetically engineered freaks to horrific inhuman mutants to androids to cyborgs to alien lizard folk and much, much more. Heck, there's even a mech or two thrown in for good measure!

So, my reaction is without question that Munden is a young author to definitely keep an eye on! There's just no limit to what I think his creativity could deliver next! Having said that, I have two problems with this book that kept me from registering what I felt would have been ultimately an unfair and skewed rating:

- the book is far too rushed. Counting the epilogue and all the concluding bits and bobs, well, there's WAY too much in here to properly handle within just over 200 pages. This has space EPIC written all over it and as such I wish we had taken our time with a LOT of issues that were far too rushed for my liking. Some of the truly mysterious aspects that Munden only briefly mentions could have used quite a bit more explanation and focus! Not as filler but as truly exciting enhancements to this far-reaching story!

- this book needs to be edited. All I can say to emphasize this is simply that it has not been edited anywhere near sufficiently enough at this stage ... and that's a right shame. At best in its current form, it can only be considered an extremely rough beta version. But it desperately needs to be checked by a TEAM of either the author's colleagues or acquaintances, or if at all possible, a professional editing service.

There are some truly avoidable and - really for a released book - unacceptable mistakes throughout the book. And this is ignoring that a lot of 'dialect' is used which might naturally be confused for poor grammar (it is but then again, it's supposed to be). But so much needs just - well, not fine-tuning but perhaps a damn thorough re-write in spots. And this would require a CREW working on this as there's a lot that not only needs to be corrected but also discussed with the author. There are even displacements in action (e.g. how did someone get where they were?) and inconsistencies that, again, can only be fixed knowing what exactly it is the author wants to express. Writing is not an easy job, I know, but that's why I steadfastly believe it needs a strong TEAM to release a truly good book!

As such, I am hoping beyond hope that Munden does what Malcolm Cross did with his own entry into this contest, namely, pull the book out of circulation (Cross's original release was in 2016) and re-release once the rough spots have been corrected and smoothed out. This story - again because of the potential both reached and still not quite there - DESERVES that!

[Zachary A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like space western or stories about bayou boys, read this book.

The Good
-Mr. Munden has gone out of his way to bring you a southern feel in a sci-fi setting. With everything from revolvers, deep fried catfish, banjos, and moonshine. To Space ships, intergalactic travel, combat mechs, and dangerous mutants.
-You are given several protagonists to choose from as the guy you personally are rooting for. I found myself drawn to drifter, an old man and romantic soul, hammered into a calloused and willy outlaw by a very hard life.
-A character driven story that has a cast made up largely of family members, yet offers unique perspectives. Mr. Munden knows how to make a character.

The Bad (for me)
-This book doesn't have any major short falls, my issues with it are mainly a matter of preference. That said, Multi POV is not my thing, its done well here, but I simply do not prefer it.
-I found certain sci-fi elements to be lazily written. Drifters abilities, while fun for the reader, do not hold up to scientific scrutiny. If your gonna write sci-fi, you gotta stay grounded in science. The same issue occurs with a major plot point. It might get explained away in the sequels, but for now, its stands as science fantasy not science fiction.
-The editing; this needed one final proof read that it never got. And more then once I tripped over an error that disrupted the flow of a sentence. One sentence in particular stopped me cold for a minute or two while I tried to decipher it, never did figure out what it meant.

I'll be interviewing Mr. Munden on my youtube the 1st of dec.

[Dave Deickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dusk Mountain Blues is a firestorm hurricane, gear-grinding chaos at the trigger of a gun! Deston Munden has done it again! Dusk Mountain Blues, like his fantasy novel Tavern, is a groundbreaking, genre defying AND defining work of art, a refreshing and rich masterpiece of originality.
These characters, Drifter and his kin, are colorful fireworks that take no shit with the tight bonds of family pushing backwards against the civilization who wants them gone.
I read the book in 2 days. I could not put it down. Dusk Mountain Blues sparked all the right notes with me, hitting the same way a massive plate of tacos hit after a long night of drinking. This is without a doubt my favorite book, science fiction perfection i have been waiting inpatiently for. Both of Deston Munden's books Tavern and Dusk Mountain Blues have been absolute rejuvinating.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE IN THE SERIES!

[Jay Brantner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of a judging team for the first annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition.

This is not really my kind of story, but it’s well-written and really captures the narrative voice of a bunch of mutant hillbillies fighting off an interplanetary military force. You can’t think too hard about the worldbuilding, but it serves to set up an interesting bunch of mountain folk in a real pickle. The ensuing story is pretty quickly paced and fun, although it ends up with a lot longer action scenes than I prefer. If you enjoy heroes from the margins fighting off the big and powerful, complete with lots of gunfights (and fistfights, and various other kind of fights), Dusk Mountain Blues may be a real gem. For me…it’s solid.

First impression: 14/20. Full review and official SPSFC score to come at www.tarvolon.com

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I impulsively bought this after catching the author on tiktok describing his book as "mutant hillbillies in space". The description is apt, but also sells short how wonderful a read this is.

The best presentation of world building I can remember in a long time. A robust and realized civilization yoy come to know but without ever facing a drawn out lore dump.

Appalachian family loyalty and rebel culture come together as you deal with the family's histories and the forces (read: colonialism and capitalism) working against them.

My only critiques of the book are that it felt a bit rushed near the end. But that may simply be me wanting more as I was pulled into the frantic climax at the end of things.

And a small number of grammatical errors that would be negligible if they hadn't pulled me briefly out of a couple of impactful scenes.

Overall I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Veronica Strachan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharp, straight to the action sci-fi plot with a conflict that gets more complex as the story unfolds with some interesting twists. The premise of civilisation disintegrating, then rebuilding is woven together well with the criminal Caldwell escapees who begin a new life on C'dar. There is a lot of action, a lot of violence as the first and generally last option against the bluecoats, with added mutations, androids and other tech to mix it up, a bit much gore for my tastes. I struggled with the ethics of the Caldwells and couldn't quite see them as the good guys, I definitely liked some more than others. The dialogue took a while to get into and a lot of the culture references were too obscure for this antipodean reader, and didn't add the colour they may have for others.
A good read.

[Chris Boykin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Space western centered on the Caldwell family

Both the author and narrator are new to me. The story is an action packed space western centered on the Caldwell family who have made a home on a new planet. They survive by whatever means necessary and mostly keep to themselves, that is until some higher ranking Bluecoats come to the planet with a specific goal in mind.
Both characters and scenes are well written and draw you in to the Caldwell family's predicament.

The narrator is a perfect fit in my mind. He narrates this book and the characters with a deep growly backwoods southern drawl (fellow southerner myself) bringing a spot on voice to the description of patriarch Drifter Caldwell.

[Aaron T. Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sci-fi biscuits and gravy

I read a lot of KU books. Sometime 5 or 6 a week. I can honestly say this one was a rare surprise.
A large percentage of the books being published on Kindle seem to be a re-telling of the authors favorite movie/tvshow/etc. If you are also fatigued by reading different flavors of the same old stories you have to read this book.
A moving story of family struggles, love and loss, and a little hint if coming-of-age.
For the action fans, there is a lot to sink your teeth into.
Mutants, cyborgs, and a twist of 'magic' all mix with an almost Appalachian flare.
This story is sci-fi comfort food, and I mean that in the best possible way.

[E.G. Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read. The characters are a group of ne'erdowell mutants living on a backwater planet, just trying to live life. Things get interrupted when the Bluecoats (law enforcement/military for the Civilization) show up, intending to do them damage. The characters have incredible depth, are great fun to read, and their reactions are what make this story wonderful. The plot is entertaining and not quite standard, and the ending leads to more. And, as a linguist and all around language nerd, I can say that I really, really, like the language. A lot.

[John (Hey Y'all Listen Up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good story, but I didn't gel with the author's writing style. The story would make an interesting movie if done well.

[Lilyn George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as part of the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition.

While there was nothing really 'wrong' with this book, it was a total mismatch for me as a reader.

[Lena (Sufficiently Advanced Lena)]

RTC once we finish all of our semifinalist for SPSFC

[Verse Atoui · Rating 5 out of 5]

A guy turns into a giant insectoid monster on like, page 10, and his entire family gets the body horror hammer too. Banger.

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Audiobook review* I think folks who like the dramatic tone and wild-west-esque atmosphere and landscape of the tv show Justified (but with mutants, bionic humans and space guns) and the family aspects and/or audiobook narrator of Kings of the Wyld will enjoy this one. The final showdown and action did not disappoint me. Though I’m left wanting more, I think I found a gem of a self-pub and this is one of my favorite books of the year. This is clearly flying under the radar as it’s been out for over a year and only has 12 ratings, which is not enough I say.