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They Eat Their Own
A new year has begun, and the annual Sower’s Festival gala is brimming with Dockhaven’s elite and their entourages. Some attend for the spectacle, some for the exotic indulgences, some to augment or gamble away fortunes. Others come to play opening moves in more subtle competitions, ones that will not realize their endgames for months to come.
After a winter of convalescence, Aliara Rift wonders whether she is ready to return to the Thung Toh and if her remade body will betray her. Her mate, Duke Sylandair Imythedralin, has many concerns, the foremost being the looming destruction of the only home in which the two of them have truly felt safe. Together they will thwart land barons, politicians, and assassins as they navigate their way through a single day in Ismae’s greatest port city.
They Eat Their Own is the second Thung Toh Jig, a science fantasy action adventure following members of Ismae's preeminent covert organization as they execute contracts for Dockhaven's most powerful and ruthless citizens.
After a winter of convalescence, Aliara Rift wonders whether she is ready to return to the Thung Toh and if her remade body will betray her. Her mate, Duke Sylandair Imythedralin, has many concerns, the foremost being the looming destruction of the only home in which the two of them have truly felt safe. Together they will thwart land barons, politicians, and assassins as they navigate their way through a single day in Ismae’s greatest port city.
They Eat Their Own is the second Thung Toh Jig, a science fantasy action adventure following members of Ismae's preeminent covert organization as they execute contracts for Dockhaven's most powerful and ruthless citizens.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2020
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Amanda K. King
3 books15 followersBoth a reporter and a communication consultant in previous lives, Amanda spent way more years than she wants to admit writing news stories and marketing drivel for other people. Her part-time fiction turned full-time when she and Michael R. Swanson wrote Things They Buried. She is a fan of words and grammar and enjoys exploring how perspectives and circumstances shape the way different people deal with the same world.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 21, 2022
This series was a must read because of their interesting covers! Haven't seen anything quite like it in my years of reading. But the content of the books are just as good and well crafted. Bit bummed that I've got no more books by these authors to read/listen to next
May 16, 2020
They Eat Their Own by Amanda K. King and Michael R. Swanson is the second in the Thung Toh Jig Science Fiction/Fantasy series.
First, let me thank the authors, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
The Port of Dockhaven is a strange city on the planet of Ismae, filled with all manner of beings. Although the worlds of science and mythology collided, and the residents may look different, have different skin colours (really different), and have different degrees of intellect, they mingle as one. Aliara Rift is an operative in the Thung Toh, a secret organization that is paid to perform almost any task for those that will pay. She and her lover, Duke Sylandair Imythedralin, recently killed the monster Orono who had owned and abused them most of their lives.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Aliara feels it is time to get back to work. She thinks her body has healed enough after the abuses she put it through while battling Orono. She is quickly given an assignment, but has to work with Dreg, a young and intelligent member of the Thung Toh, but who is impetuous and prone to mistakes. Aliara hires Schmalch to scout out the building they must enter.
Meanwhile Sylandair, during the Sower's Gala, discovers that a contract has been placed on his head. Not sure who wants him dead, he continues with the festivities, but is alert. He wonders if it is Flark, who owns a large number of properties, and is determined to own the building that Sylandair and Aliara call home. Then again, Sylandair has made more than one enemy in the political and business worlds of his country.
As well, Nihal Savesti has still not been located, and her attempts to recreate Orono's experiments into immortality could be deadly to everyone. Sylandair is intent on making sure she cannot access the items she needs to complete her undertaking.
My Opinions:
Please read the first book in the series before attempting this one. In one way, this new book could be read as a stand-alone novel, but there is so much you would miss....
This series continues to surprise me. Although this is not really my normal genre, I was thrilled when the author approached me again to ask if I would read and review this second book. Jumping for joy is a little beyond me, but I quickly bumped it up to the top of my reading list. So glad I did!
As in the first book, the authors continue to use their vivid imaginations to create a very descriptive tale. I never felt that I didn't understand something because of the unfamiliar words, characters or creatures. Everything was crystal clear.
The book is filled with non-stop action, and a lot of suspense. There is even a romance angle which I actually like. (Don't remember that happening in quite some time). I think it is because the love between Sylandair and Aliara seems real. They've been through a lot together, and their closeness feels right. All the characters, even those that do not possess many human traits, are interesting. You quickly forget that they have extra limbs, or noses in strange places, or are green....you just know that their part in the book is important.
The book is told from different points of view, and everything flows smoothly.
So, an intriguing plot, vivid imagery, complex characters, and excellent writing combine to give the reader an entertaining read. I loved it, and am looking forward to the next in the series!
For a more complete review of this book and others (including author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
May 20, 2022
It’s no secret that Amanda K. King and Michael R. Swanson’s first novel, Things They Buried (A Thung Toh Jig 1) is one of my favorite indie books. Its setting of Dockhaven is one of the most tangible and realized secondary worlds you’ll find in any SFF novel. So I was excited to jump into the sequel, They Eat Their Own. Though the feel and secondary genre of the sequel is quite different, I loved the new direction.
Instead of weird horror rooted in childhood trauma, we get the complex clockwork of a heist mixed in with social commentary, political machinations, and a fair amount of debauchery. Most of our favorite characters are back and recovered from the events of book one, and their stories weave in and out of each other over the course of a single eventful day. And it’s a hell of a lot of fun. I love this world, I love these characters, and I can’t wait until King and Swanson give us book three.
Instead of weird horror rooted in childhood trauma, we get the complex clockwork of a heist mixed in with social commentary, political machinations, and a fair amount of debauchery. Most of our favorite characters are back and recovered from the events of book one, and their stories weave in and out of each other over the course of a single eventful day. And it’s a hell of a lot of fun. I love this world, I love these characters, and I can’t wait until King and Swanson give us book three.
June 2, 2020
I read and reviewed Things They Buried, the first book in this series, about a year ago. I was hugely impressed that a debut novel could be so polished and creative, mixing genres seamlessly to create something entirely new. It created a world where genetic manipulation is common, while some things, such as photography, are rare and expensive. The first book had quite a few horror elements to boot, but this book takes an entirely different, but just as effective approach, not suffering a sophomore slump at all.
PLOT SUMMARY
Starting about a year after the events of Things They Buried, the story starts off in a way I didn't expect: a pirate raid on a ship off the coast of Dockhaven. The ship, a merchant vessel, is carrying a variety of cargo, but apparently has some special items the pirates are looking for: items from a dig in a lost civilization. After getting what they came for, they ensure they will not be identified by any crew, permanently.
We then move to Dockhaven, where we see Sylandair, Duke of Chiv'vastezz, in a high stakes card game with some of the movers and shakers of Dockhaven society, including his rival Flark, who own's the building Sylandair and his mate Aliara, called Rift, live in. Idra, The Mayor of Dockhaven, and another of Sylandair's rivals, is also playing. There is a lot of political and financial intriguing going on with the game, as Flark is trying to influence Idra, who owes substantial loans to Flark, and is holding up other building plans he has. The tension at the table gets especially bad when Flark's minions implode one of his buildings with people still inside it, creating political issues for Idra.
Meanwhile, while the game is going on, Rift agrees to help Dreg, one of the Thung Toh thieves/assassins guild members, on one of his jobs. The job involves breaking into Flark's penthouse, and retrieve shipping guild ledgers, and permanently remove the guild member, now Flark's mate, permanently. In addition, they are to bring a artifact, a Voshar mask, back to Sylandair. The mask is the one thing an enemy from their past needs to enact her evil plan.
While all this is going on, Sylandair is dodging assassination attempts, and when Rift and Dreg return to the party the card game is held at, they end up going with Sylandair, Idra and Flark's ex Daisy to Flark's yacht for a game with higher stakes. What happens there is a crazy series of events, which even the quick witted Sylandair and Rift could not have seen coming, and which leaves them with more questions than answers about certain events in the city. It does present some new opportunities in the future though, as Sylandair and Aliara have some decisions to make.
CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING
This is one of those books that mixes creative characters who push the story along with fantastic world building. The characters from the first book, with the emphasis on Sylandair and Aliara, get more depth throughout the book. Adding a bit more to their backstory, you find out even more clearly how they got where they are, and get a closer look at their decision making process. The events of the previous books have left their mark on them both, and they are still dealing with the trauma, especially Aliara, who's injuries almost killed her. She is unsure if her abilities will return completely, and this doubt really helps makes her a more sympathetic character, while still leaving her to grow back to her strong, resilient self. Sylandair too is a complex character, with strengths and flaws that really make him ring true. The secondary characters are all well written, written as well rounded characters with strengths and flaws, which really helps sell their various stories.
The world building is such a strength of this series. Dockhaven, in my opinion, is one of the best settings in fantasy/sci-fi, on par with the great ones such as Lankhmar, Ankh-Morpork and Sanctuary. It is so well described, you can practically smell the sea salt and feel the wind blowing the stink from the slums. The dichotomy of high tech and low fantasy really shines through, and creates such a unique setting. You really do get a feeling of a hive of scum and villainy, with a thin veneer of gentility over it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The change in tones between the first and second book could have gone badly wrong if handled by the wrong authors. Fortunately, Amanda and Michael were the right authors, and did an amazing job shifting tones from a sci-fi/ fantasy hybrid with some serious horror elements, to what I think of as a down and dirty Ocean's Eight kind of heist story with an underlying conspiracy. I can see this book appealing to people on both sides of the sci-fi/fantasy divide, and create new fans of both.
PLOT SUMMARY
Starting about a year after the events of Things They Buried, the story starts off in a way I didn't expect: a pirate raid on a ship off the coast of Dockhaven. The ship, a merchant vessel, is carrying a variety of cargo, but apparently has some special items the pirates are looking for: items from a dig in a lost civilization. After getting what they came for, they ensure they will not be identified by any crew, permanently.
We then move to Dockhaven, where we see Sylandair, Duke of Chiv'vastezz, in a high stakes card game with some of the movers and shakers of Dockhaven society, including his rival Flark, who own's the building Sylandair and his mate Aliara, called Rift, live in. Idra, The Mayor of Dockhaven, and another of Sylandair's rivals, is also playing. There is a lot of political and financial intriguing going on with the game, as Flark is trying to influence Idra, who owes substantial loans to Flark, and is holding up other building plans he has. The tension at the table gets especially bad when Flark's minions implode one of his buildings with people still inside it, creating political issues for Idra.
Meanwhile, while the game is going on, Rift agrees to help Dreg, one of the Thung Toh thieves/assassins guild members, on one of his jobs. The job involves breaking into Flark's penthouse, and retrieve shipping guild ledgers, and permanently remove the guild member, now Flark's mate, permanently. In addition, they are to bring a artifact, a Voshar mask, back to Sylandair. The mask is the one thing an enemy from their past needs to enact her evil plan.
While all this is going on, Sylandair is dodging assassination attempts, and when Rift and Dreg return to the party the card game is held at, they end up going with Sylandair, Idra and Flark's ex Daisy to Flark's yacht for a game with higher stakes. What happens there is a crazy series of events, which even the quick witted Sylandair and Rift could not have seen coming, and which leaves them with more questions than answers about certain events in the city. It does present some new opportunities in the future though, as Sylandair and Aliara have some decisions to make.
CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING
This is one of those books that mixes creative characters who push the story along with fantastic world building. The characters from the first book, with the emphasis on Sylandair and Aliara, get more depth throughout the book. Adding a bit more to their backstory, you find out even more clearly how they got where they are, and get a closer look at their decision making process. The events of the previous books have left their mark on them both, and they are still dealing with the trauma, especially Aliara, who's injuries almost killed her. She is unsure if her abilities will return completely, and this doubt really helps makes her a more sympathetic character, while still leaving her to grow back to her strong, resilient self. Sylandair too is a complex character, with strengths and flaws that really make him ring true. The secondary characters are all well written, written as well rounded characters with strengths and flaws, which really helps sell their various stories.
The world building is such a strength of this series. Dockhaven, in my opinion, is one of the best settings in fantasy/sci-fi, on par with the great ones such as Lankhmar, Ankh-Morpork and Sanctuary. It is so well described, you can practically smell the sea salt and feel the wind blowing the stink from the slums. The dichotomy of high tech and low fantasy really shines through, and creates such a unique setting. You really do get a feeling of a hive of scum and villainy, with a thin veneer of gentility over it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The change in tones between the first and second book could have gone badly wrong if handled by the wrong authors. Fortunately, Amanda and Michael were the right authors, and did an amazing job shifting tones from a sci-fi/ fantasy hybrid with some serious horror elements, to what I think of as a down and dirty Ocean's Eight kind of heist story with an underlying conspiracy. I can see this book appealing to people on both sides of the sci-fi/fantasy divide, and create new fans of both.
July 9, 2020
*PARTIAL SPOILERS FROM BOOK 1*
A Thung Toh Jig 2, as described, is a sci-fi fantasy action adventure. There is a shortage of horror and terror that was consistently present in Things They Buried, but there is no lack of suspense. Amanda and Michael continue to deliver action-packed escapades and beautiful world-building to their readers!
Duke Sylandair Imythedralyn and Aliara Rift attend the annual Sower’s Festival gala, where political intrigue, overindulgence and deceit run rampant. After her near-death Aliara is eager to return to work with her fellow Toh, unsure of her recent internal renovations and feeling out of place in her own skin. We find Sylandair on the gaming deck at the lyntyyl table, always calculating his surroundings, this time with the long-term interest of preventing the imminent destruction of the home he shares with his mate. Our dear puka Schmalch winds up assisting Aliara with a jig, that inevitably leads him to a peculiar mask we have not seen the last of.
We continue to read from different POV in this book, and I was pleasantly surprised with Idra, Dockhaven’s mayor. It is always impressive when a character I vehemently dislike in book 1 turns into a character whose chapters I really look forward to. Her dramatic flair for political games and sweeping conclusions was very entertaining.
I admit, I ALMOST gave this a 4.5 due to the lack of Haus. As previously indicated, Victuur Haus is one of my favourites from Things They Buried. There is hope he will be featured more in the next book, as Sylandair mentioned what he was up to a few a times.
This novel continues to deliver complex characters, but its true strength lies in the world-building. Readers are presented with a world that manages to feel both familiar and alien. You will never feel displaced in Dockhaven; rather you’ll find yourself consistently intrigued to learn more about its inhabitants. Thank you, Amanda and Michael, for this extraordinary world you have created.
A Thung Toh Jig 2, as described, is a sci-fi fantasy action adventure. There is a shortage of horror and terror that was consistently present in Things They Buried, but there is no lack of suspense. Amanda and Michael continue to deliver action-packed escapades and beautiful world-building to their readers!
Duke Sylandair Imythedralyn and Aliara Rift attend the annual Sower’s Festival gala, where political intrigue, overindulgence and deceit run rampant. After her near-death Aliara is eager to return to work with her fellow Toh, unsure of her recent internal renovations and feeling out of place in her own skin. We find Sylandair on the gaming deck at the lyntyyl table, always calculating his surroundings, this time with the long-term interest of preventing the imminent destruction of the home he shares with his mate. Our dear puka Schmalch winds up assisting Aliara with a jig, that inevitably leads him to a peculiar mask we have not seen the last of.
We continue to read from different POV in this book, and I was pleasantly surprised with Idra, Dockhaven’s mayor. It is always impressive when a character I vehemently dislike in book 1 turns into a character whose chapters I really look forward to. Her dramatic flair for political games and sweeping conclusions was very entertaining.
I admit, I ALMOST gave this a 4.5 due to the lack of Haus. As previously indicated, Victuur Haus is one of my favourites from Things They Buried. There is hope he will be featured more in the next book, as Sylandair mentioned what he was up to a few a times.
This novel continues to deliver complex characters, but its true strength lies in the world-building. Readers are presented with a world that manages to feel both familiar and alien. You will never feel displaced in Dockhaven; rather you’ll find yourself consistently intrigued to learn more about its inhabitants. Thank you, Amanda and Michael, for this extraordinary world you have created.
June 19, 2022
While the horror in this book may not be as in-your-face as the previous Thung Toh Jig, It definitely delivers through a more subtle package - namely how politicians and the wealthy prey on the poor and lower class.
I was a little bit saddened that we didn’t get as much time with Schmalch this book, but I did enjoy spending more time with Syl and Rift, who are becoming two of my favorite anti-heroes.
I think ultimately I did enjoy this book a little bit less than the previous because I didn’t care about the characters equally and so it made certain chapters less fun to read than others. I also got more frustrated with the villains this jig and was glad when one of them finally got what he had coming to him.
Overall, I love this world and King & Swanson’s writing and am very much looking forward to what they do next!
I was a little bit saddened that we didn’t get as much time with Schmalch this book, but I did enjoy spending more time with Syl and Rift, who are becoming two of my favorite anti-heroes.
I think ultimately I did enjoy this book a little bit less than the previous because I didn’t care about the characters equally and so it made certain chapters less fun to read than others. I also got more frustrated with the villains this jig and was glad when one of them finally got what he had coming to him.
Overall, I love this world and King & Swanson’s writing and am very much looking forward to what they do next!
March 18, 2023
I quite enjoyed this sequel to Things They Buried (and for those reading my previous review, this one has much fewer creepy children!). While the first book featured relatively large stakes for the island where the characters lived, this book felt a bit smaller. It deals with the aftereffects for Syl and Aliara from the first book, and how they are recuperating. It also deals with another villain on the island, in this case a morally-bankrupt landlord.
While the story was interesting and the characters just as good as in the first book, I wanted just a little more out of this one. There were a bunch of very interesting threads left at the end of the first book, which were briefly touched on here, but it felt like things were building in the background, and the main story didn't really have anything to do with those points. As a middle story, it's interesting, but I'm more interested in reading what comes next, dealing with the interesting artifacts found here and their significance for one of the characters from the first book.
While the story was interesting and the characters just as good as in the first book, I wanted just a little more out of this one. There were a bunch of very interesting threads left at the end of the first book, which were briefly touched on here, but it felt like things were building in the background, and the main story didn't really have anything to do with those points. As a middle story, it's interesting, but I'm more interested in reading what comes next, dealing with the interesting artifacts found here and their significance for one of the characters from the first book.
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