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Stories of the Puzzle Lands: Duology Box Set
Two gritty dark fantasy novels and a bonus short story:
His name is Smoke, though some know him as the Demon Dismay. He’s a charming, well-armed young murderer who is not altogether human. Smoke’s purpose in life is to mete out the stern justice of a vindictive goddess, and he is pleased to do it—that is, until he finds other things to live for. A woman, a child, a quiet home deep in the forest. He is so far from anywhere he can no longer hear the haunting prayers of those who would ask him to deliver them vengeance. But the quiet life is not Smoke’s fate.
Stories of the Puzzle Lands includes two novels—The Dread Hammer and Hepen the Watcher—plus the short story, “A Moment Before It Struck,” originally published in Lightspeed Magazine.
His name is Smoke, though some know him as the Demon Dismay. He’s a charming, well-armed young murderer who is not altogether human. Smoke’s purpose in life is to mete out the stern justice of a vindictive goddess, and he is pleased to do it—that is, until he finds other things to live for. A woman, a child, a quiet home deep in the forest. He is so far from anywhere he can no longer hear the haunting prayers of those who would ask him to deliver them vengeance. But the quiet life is not Smoke’s fate.
Stories of the Puzzle Lands includes two novels—The Dread Hammer and Hepen the Watcher—plus the short story, “A Moment Before It Struck,” originally published in Lightspeed Magazine.
457 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2020
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20 people want to read
About the author
Linda Nagata
109 books658 followersI'm a writer from Hawaii best known for my high-tech science fiction, including the near-future thriller,
The Last Good Man
, and the far-future adventure series, INVERTED FRONTIER.
Though I don't review books on Goodreads, I do talk about some of my favorite books on my blog and those posts are echoed here. So I invite you to follow me for news of books and many other things. You can also visit my website to learn more about my work, and to sign up for my newsletter.
Though I don't review books on Goodreads, I do talk about some of my favorite books on my blog and those posts are echoed here. So I invite you to follow me for news of books and many other things. You can also visit my website to learn more about my work, and to sign up for my newsletter.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 30, 2021
This is a compilation of two books that were previously published separately but now together as one book (kindle edition, don't know about physical version).
The first book I'd rate 2.5-3 stars. I could not tell where things were going, the action meandered here and there and eventually all the threads combined and there was finally a story being told, someone I could root for as they struggled against various things. The main character, Smoke, is a half human-half haunten (spirit beings) which gives him the ability to disappear into a smoky haze and go down into the warp and weft of the fabric of the world. He can travel those threads and get somewhere quicker than if he walked or even rode a horse. His father has commanded him to use his abilities in the war against the people south of the mountains, to kill everyone in a house that harbors enemy troops. Smoke doesn't mind killing men but he really dislikes killing women and children and sometimes lets them get away. In the southern kingdom (the name escapes me) the women are treated like property and even young girls are given in marriage to older men or even sold to brothels. When a woman is beaten and raped by her husband she prays to "Dismay", which is another name for Smoke, to avenge her. Smoke can follow the threads of her prayer to where she is and do her bidding. This is all explained in a short story before the first book begins and by that time Smoke has quit the army and left the Puzzle Lands (and therefore out of his father's range of influence) to live deep in the forest. But one day he happens to be by the road that goes through the woods to a small city and happens upon a girl who will turn his life upside down in ways he never thought possible. Oh, and Smoke is often called a Demon because he is kind of amoral about killing men and people are scared of him because he might kill you on a whim.
The second book is way better than the first one, I rate it 4.5 stars! Smoke has been basically banished to the southern kingdom and goes about answering the prays to "Dismay" for vengence. The men of the south want to stop him and a sheriff has a plan. I don't know how much to tell without spoiling things but in vague terms Smoke meets some people who become his companions and there are some madcap adventures. We get scenes from the POVs of all different people in this book rather than mostly Smoke in the first book. The flow of the book is excellent, I did not find myself bored at all. In fact I couldn't wait to get back to reading it once I had done my daily whatever stuff I had to do. If I find myself thinking about the story I'm in the middle of reading and longing to find out what happens next then I know it's a good book (I read in stages and slow, not one book in a sitting like some people seem to be able to do.) I highly recommend it as long as you remember that the second part is the best but you have to read the first book so you know the characters and setting.
The first book I'd rate 2.5-3 stars. I could not tell where things were going, the action meandered here and there and eventually all the threads combined and there was finally a story being told, someone I could root for as they struggled against various things. The main character, Smoke, is a half human-half haunten (spirit beings) which gives him the ability to disappear into a smoky haze and go down into the warp and weft of the fabric of the world. He can travel those threads and get somewhere quicker than if he walked or even rode a horse. His father has commanded him to use his abilities in the war against the people south of the mountains, to kill everyone in a house that harbors enemy troops. Smoke doesn't mind killing men but he really dislikes killing women and children and sometimes lets them get away. In the southern kingdom (the name escapes me) the women are treated like property and even young girls are given in marriage to older men or even sold to brothels. When a woman is beaten and raped by her husband she prays to "Dismay", which is another name for Smoke, to avenge her. Smoke can follow the threads of her prayer to where she is and do her bidding. This is all explained in a short story before the first book begins and by that time Smoke has quit the army and left the Puzzle Lands (and therefore out of his father's range of influence) to live deep in the forest. But one day he happens to be by the road that goes through the woods to a small city and happens upon a girl who will turn his life upside down in ways he never thought possible. Oh, and Smoke is often called a Demon because he is kind of amoral about killing men and people are scared of him because he might kill you on a whim.
The second book is way better than the first one, I rate it 4.5 stars! Smoke has been basically banished to the southern kingdom and goes about answering the prays to "Dismay" for vengence. The men of the south want to stop him and a sheriff has a plan. I don't know how much to tell without spoiling things but in vague terms Smoke meets some people who become his companions and there are some madcap adventures. We get scenes from the POVs of all different people in this book rather than mostly Smoke in the first book. The flow of the book is excellent, I did not find myself bored at all. In fact I couldn't wait to get back to reading it once I had done my daily whatever stuff I had to do. If I find myself thinking about the story I'm in the middle of reading and longing to find out what happens next then I know it's a good book (I read in stages and slow, not one book in a sitting like some people seem to be able to do.) I highly recommend it as long as you remember that the second part is the best but you have to read the first book so you know the characters and setting.
Displaying 1 of 1 review