Thorns of a Black Rose

by David Craig

Revenge and responsibility, confrontation and consequences. A hot desert land of diverse peoples dealing with demons, mages, natural disasters … and the Black Rose assassins.

On a quest for vengeance, Shukara arrives in the city of Mask having already endured two years of hardship and loss. Her pouch is stolen by Tamira, a young street-smart thief, who throws away some of the rarer reagents that Shukara needs for her magick. Tracking down the thief, and being unfamiliar with Mask, Shukara shows mercy to Tamira in exchange for her help in replacing what has been lost. Together they brave the intrigues of Mask, and soon discover that they have a mutual enemy in the Black Rose, an almost legendary band of merciless assassins. But this is just the start of their journeys…

Although set in an imaginary land, the scenery and peoples of Thorns of a Black Rose were inspired by David Craig’s experiences on a trip to Egypt, Morocco and the Sahara. Mask is a living, breathing city, from the prosperous Merchant Quarter whose residents struggle for wealth and power, to the Poor Quarter whose residents struggle just to survive. It is a coming of age tale for the young thief, Tamira, as well as a tale of vengeance and discovery. There is also a moral ambiguity in the story, with both the protagonists and antagonists learning that whatever their intentions or justification, actions have consequences.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 26, 2019

About the author

Aside from three months living on an oil tanker sailing back and forth between America and Africa, and two years living in a pub, David Craig grew up on the west coast of Scotland. He studied Software Engineering at university, but lost interest in the subject after (and admittedly prior to) graduation. He currently works as a resourcing administrator for a public service contact centre, and lives near Glasgow with his wife, daughter and two rabbits.

Being a published writer had been a life-long dream, and one that he was delighted to finally realise with his debut novel, Resurrection Men, the first in the Sooty Feathers series, published by Elsewhen Press in 2018. Elsewhen Press has since published David's fantasy novel, Thorns of a Black Rose, and the second Sooty Feathers novel, Lord of the Hunt.
He is now represented by the John Jarrold Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Steve Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thorns of a Black Rose is a wonderfully evocative, inventive and exciting fantasy adventure set in a magical world reminiscent of the Arabian nights. The three main characters, Tamira, Shukara and Jassan are well drawn and their separate and joint quests are compelling. The excellent writing makes their entire world believable and I look forward to more of their adventures and, indeed, other works by David Craig. Very highly recommended.

[Martin Owton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable debut novel with a fantasy like-North African setting and two major point of view characters. I found it smoothly written and, for the most part, tautly paced. The magic system is coherent and well-realised. The relationship between young street-girl Tamira and the outlander mage Shakara develops in a believable way though I did find it a little unbelievable that Tamira had survived as well as she had on her own particularly given her background; perhaps I've been reading too many grimdark stories. The third POV character Jassan, the desert ranger, gets rather less screen time and is less developed. The story progresses with good tension to its climatic confrontation with the assassins of the Black Rose and once that is played out the pacing alters; the tautness vanishes and the remaining events are spread out over a much longer timeline with years between them. These final sections of the book feel tacked-on rather than organic parts of the story. There is also the shadow of a greater threat to the worl which is introduced then not developed - foreshadowing for the sequel perhaps.

[Xerxes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Elsewhen Press, an independent self-publisher for sending me this ARC copy. Thorns of a Black Rose is a novel I’ve read that deserves to be on the top-selling lists of major book stores such as Waterstones and Barnes and Nobles. This book reads like an RPG of the Desert.

The world is rich and diverse in its settings inspired by Moroccan, Ancient Egypt and the Maghreb. I also love the hint of the Assassin Creed Influence here.

The characters in this story are finely developed. Tamira develops the most change in this novel, finding such friends that she would never have thought off. The setting is vivid, and the description takes you back to a world where dusty deserts and camels embark on a vast sweeping epic journey. There’s bandits, assassins, empires, merchant guilds, all jostling for power.

For Jassan, he’s a very rough man that is somewhat heroic and somewhat isn’t. I’ll leave that up for you to decide. This novel has so much magic I’m flabbergasted that it is this well done. That said, I didn’t approve of Jassan’s actions sometimes, but I understand his role. In a harsh world like this, it was common for dangerous revolts, plotting and taking over new lands was common.

Read this book for Tamira. Shukara is a complicated character, where there are layers to her character that are slowly unveiled. She dabbles in magic and is a clever mage. However on some of the weaknesses of the novel, sometimes I did feel there was a little bit too much world-building, as in more names and empires, but since I was given an ARC, there may have been a map in the published version, of this I am not sure. But don’t let the cover distract you, because THE COVER IS THE STORY! It fits right with this theme.

It is like Laurence of Arabia. But more importantly, this is a sweeping epic of a sword and sandal film. I didn’t see much involvement of the fantasy Ancient Egyptians but I suspect they are in for the sequel. This is a book is like a 1960s Hollywood historical film that involves a lot of talking, hashing and revenge. The prose is well written. The writing is on point. The dialogue is great, and is there a sequel? For a debut self-published novel, my rating is 5/5

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent fantasy set in a non-pseudo-Europe, with a battle against a guild of assassins!

A breath of fresh air against standard pseudo-medieval-European settings, this had more of a Middle Eastern and African flavor. A magicker has crossed a continent in search of the assassins' guild that attacked her home; she teams up with a street rat with her own vendetta against the assassins. With the help of a desert caravan ranger, they come up with a plan to infiltrate the mountain stronghold of the assassins, setting up for an EPIC showdown . . . I sure hope the author continues the story someday!

[Billy Buttons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Thorns of a Black Rose
Author: David Craig

Star Rating: 3.5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 6/10
Cover: 3/10
Of the 18 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
4 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
12 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“Although the cover is very amateur-looking, the story is not. From the opening chapter, this is a well-paced fantasy adventure with plenty of twists and a number of dark characters. The ending needs a little work as it lacks the ‘POW!’ factor, but overall the plot is well constructed, and the author shows plenty of imagination in his writing.” Male reader, aged 57
“The assassins of the Black Rose were the most interesting characters, and I enjoyed the chapters involving them the most. The author also works well with setting description, which is so important in fantasy novels. ” Male reader, aged 39
“This could be the beginning of an interesting set of novels. The author seems adept at planning a complex and interesting plot, and giving the reader a range of cool characters to get to know, particularly Tamira. The only real problem with the story is a lack of pacing towards the end and a dodgy-looking cover. With the right packaging, i.e. cover and a stronger, more enticing blurb, this could sell very well.” Female reader, aged 41
“I love my fantasy books so this was right up my street. I also like Assassin's Creed, so this was very much for me. Possibly slightly too short, but the author still packs a lot in: battling assassins, revenge, etc. The cover illustration is truly terrible, making the novel look like a travel book to Egypt. Sort it; this novel deserves much better.” Male reader, aged 49

To Sum It Up:
‘A cleverly plotted fantasy adventure populated with a host of dark and shadowy characters.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Marina Fonseca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in one of my favorite bookstores in Edinburgh-Transreal Fiction- and I'm so glad I did! I felt like I was in the streets of Agrabah and it was a really fun adventure. I wish more fantasy books were set in this world instead of a Western Middle Ages. Shukara is such an intriguing character (although I did feel like her motivation could have been more interesting). I'd love to see where life takes her and Tamira, and read more about their adventures.
Also, kudos to the male author for writing female characters so well. I shy away from these types of books fairly quickly after Fforde's Thursday Next and other similarly overly sexual male fantasies in form of female book characters. I'm happy to say there wasn't a single cringe-worthy scene in this whole book.

[Anya Pavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorns of a Black Rose is unique fantasy in that the world contains references to cultures beyond western Europe/medieval. As much as I love Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, I very much appreciate when diverse elements form the foundation of a fantasy world. The architecture/urban planning, some cultural elements, and some names have a North African flavor and give the book an intoxicating feel. Add in a mage, and the book utterly captivates. I'm someone who appreciates description in her books, and this one delivered. Wonderful find.

[Seregil of Rhiminee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Risingshadow.

Because I enjoyed reading David Craig's debut novel, Resurrection Men, and found it compelling, I was eager to take a look at this second novel. I'm pleased to say that Thorns of a Black Rose is a highly enjoyable epic fantasy novel which reads like a combination of Arabian Nights, The Thief of Baghdad and Assassin's Creed with a faint touch of Laurence of Arabia. It's a fully satisfying tale of thievery, assassinations, survival and vengeance.

Thorns of a Black Rose is a compelling and immersive novel that instantly caught my interest with its swiftly moving and gradually unfolding story. This novel offers readers a fresh and exciting story in a compact format, and what's best, readers won't have to wait for any sequels when they've finished the story, because it's a standalone story.

This novel begins with Tamira stealing food for herself and running away from those who are trying to catch her. At the harbour she notices a woman, Shukara, who walks off the boat. Tamira follows Shukara and steals her pouch which contains rare reagents that are needed for magick. Shukara is startled and annoyed by the theft and tries to finds new reagents to replace the missing ones, but can't find them anywhere in the city. Frustrated, she decides to take matters into her own hands and begins to search for the thief. When Shukara catches Tamira, she shows mercy to her in exchange for help in replacing what has been lost. Soon, they discover that they have a mutual enemy in the Black Rose, which is a band of skilled and merciless assassins who leave black roses on the bodies of the persons that are marked for death...

This powerful beginning paves the way for an entertaining story that will keep readers turning pages. The story's entertainment values are enhanced by fluent prose and well written dialogues.

The characterisation is splendid and surprisingly vivid. The protagonists, Shukara and Tamira, are well-created and intriguing characters, because the author writes captivatingly about them and tells about how they find themselves facing a mutual and very dangerous enemy that doesn't hesitate to kill people. Jassan is also an interesting character and I enjoyed reading about how he helped Shukara and Tamira to achieve their goals.

Here are a few words about Shukara, Tamira and Jassan:

Shukara is a magicker (a mage) who, after travelling a long time, arrives in the city of Mask. She has arrived there for a reason, because she needs to do something, but keeps things to herself. Tamira is a thirteen-year-old thief. She lives on Mask's streets, searches for food and steals goods to sell for coin to buy food. Because Mask is her home, she knows the city well and can outrun those who are trying to catch her. Jassan is a Kavari ranger who guides people across the desert. He knows the desert and has learned to survive there.

The worldbuilding is rich and immersive, because the author has envisioned a world where assassins, merchants and thieves are grasping at power and where assassinations are an effective - and often necessary - way of dealing with enemies. The author's vision of the world is immensely vibrant, because the world is influenced by ancient Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and Middle Eastern countries. It feels as if he has taken many well known elements that are related to these countries, their myths and their cultures and has poured magic and action all over the blend to create something original and thrilling.

I enjoyed reading about Mask, because it's an ancient and vast city that has a dark and terrifying side to it. Mask is co-ruled by the Cult of Hrek and the Merchant Council, but the bloodthirsty Cult holds the real power over the city. Mask is a dangerous place for those who are less fortunate, because crimes are severely punished and thieves may easily found themselves maimed or killed. The city is also dangerous to others, because doing something that upsets the Cult will most surely mean a bloody and terrifying death.

The Cult of Hrek is a fascinating part of the story arc, because it brings plenty of darkness to it. The members of the Cult sacrifice people to their god, Hrek, and have bloody rituals. As a fan of dark fantasy elements, I was intrigued by the Cult and their deeds. I also want to mention briefly that I was fascinated by what was revealed about an ancient mage, the Bone King.

The Black Rose is an important and captivating part of the story, because they're a band of assassins. I was wholly mesmerised by the author's way of writing about them, because he wrote excellently about their deeds and how they dealt with their targets without mercy.

Reading about the magic was also interesting for me, because the author has come up with an intriguing magic system. In this novel, a piece of wytchwood is the principal component of magic, and reagents are required for powerful and complicated spells (some reagents are more difficult to find than others and acquiring them can be arduous and even dangerous). It's great that the author writes about politics concerning those who use magic, because it brings depth to the story.

I like David Craig's writing style, because he writes fluent and swiftly flowing prose. When I began to read this novel, I found it easy to immerse myself into the story and was immediately drawn to the characters' adventures, because the story flowed well and the author's decriptions about the happenings were genuinely gripping.

I give this novel full five stars on the scale from one to five stars, because it's wonderful entertainment from start to finish and has a few well-placed surprises. I'm not sure if the author will ever write more stories set in the same world, but I hope that he will do so in the near future, because it would be great to read a sequel or a companion novel, for there are many things left to explore in the world.

David Craig's Thorns of a Black Rose is a slice of fantasy excellence in a single volume. I can highly recommend this novel to readers who love entertaining and fast-paced stories, because the unfolding story is a rich and rewarding reading experience.

My final words are:

This novel is excellent fantasy entertainment!

[Tanya Brodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read, this book started off really interesting as we follow Tamira and her life in the city of Mask. Once it leaves the city I feel like it lost some momentum but it was still an enjoyable read.

[Tej Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, non-Eurocentric fantasy adventure story. The world seems well realised, as does the characters and magic system, and it is very well written. Recommended!