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Blood and Mercy
Keplan reels in the wake of grief and guilt at the blood on his hands. Outside the city walls, however, winter grows fiercer and droughts longer. Alea reforged the fractured world twenty years before--so why is it withering before his eyes? Then, just as he masters being a monarch, a prophet arrives spouting scripture about a One True God. Keplan’s own mother killed the last gods, yet this one matches his description perfectly--and its wrath is about to fall upon Athrolan.
Isolated within the same cold, marble walls as Athrolan’s murderous king, Rih struggles to plot her rebellion leagues away from everything she has ever known. With an unexpected ally, she may have finally found a way to the Mirikin Hetmir--until tragedy strikes. With religious fanatics at their walls, blight in their fields, and a king floundering from addiction, Athrolan spirals out of control. Now Rih must choose between a mad king’s life and her own revolution.
This series contains scenes of intimacy between queer characters. If this makes you uncomfortable, this is not the series for you.
Isolated within the same cold, marble walls as Athrolan’s murderous king, Rih struggles to plot her rebellion leagues away from everything she has ever known. With an unexpected ally, she may have finally found a way to the Mirikin Hetmir--until tragedy strikes. With religious fanatics at their walls, blight in their fields, and a king floundering from addiction, Athrolan spirals out of control. Now Rih must choose between a mad king’s life and her own revolution.
This series contains scenes of intimacy between queer characters. If this makes you uncomfortable, this is not the series for you.
585 pages, Paperback
Published June 14, 2020
5 people want to read
About the author
V.S. Holmes
28 books75 followersV. S. Holmes is an international bestselling author of dark, speculative fiction, from fast-paced hard sci-fi to slow-burn gothic fantasy and everything in between. He has two finished series: Stars Edge: Nel Bently Books, a queer archaeological sci-fi, and the dark fantasy Blood of Titans. Smoke and Rain, the award-winning first book in his fantasy quartet, became an international bestseller in 2018. Travelers is also included in the Peregrine Moon Lander mission as part of the Writers on the Moon Time Capsule. In addition, he writes game content for Stone Blade Entertainment and published short fiction in several anthologies.
He is currently working on a folk horror, inspired by death, sex, and their Frisian and Celtic heritage.
Beyond the keyboard, he lives in western Massachusetts, and like to garden, feed the birds, and watch the river change with the seasons. V worked as a contract archaeologist for over a decade before becoming an electrician. V is a trans guy, among other flavors of queer, and married to a fellow archaeologist. They enjoy quiet evenings with food, games, and films with a sweet lab-rottweiler, Rory and the not-so-quiet brown mutt, Millie.
He is currently working on a folk horror, inspired by death, sex, and their Frisian and Celtic heritage.
Beyond the keyboard, he lives in western Massachusetts, and like to garden, feed the birds, and watch the river change with the seasons. V worked as a contract archaeologist for over a decade before becoming an electrician. V is a trans guy, among other flavors of queer, and married to a fellow archaeologist. They enjoy quiet evenings with food, games, and films with a sweet lab-rottweiler, Rory and the not-so-quiet brown mutt, Millie.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 22, 2020
Excellent, well written and thorough. The story is an in-depth insight to how Keplan accepts the role of King although he has no concept of what that really means or how to rule. He has friends and enemies, but who to trust. An arranged marriage between a half mad king and a warrior, compassion, deceipt, failure, murder. The characters are well fleshed out and reel you in. Ended well. Recommended.
August 6, 2020
‘War makes everyone hungry’
Massachusetts author V.S. Holmes earned her degree Biology for Keene State College and works as a contract archaeologist doing Cultural Resource Management, supplementing her interest in prehistoric people and stone tools. As a disabled and queer human, Holmes is an advocate and sponsor for those writing with disabilities, and is a significant advocate for the LGBTQ community. Her writing is in the SFF genre (Science Fiction Fantasy) and to date she has contributed short stories to four anthologies, as well as her own books – the STARSEDGE: NEL BENTLEY series, and her acclaimed REFORGED series, of which SMOKE AND RAIN was the initial volume, having won the 2015 New Apple Literary Excellence in Independent Publishing Award. The other installments are LIGHTNING AND FLAMES, MADNESS AND GODS, and now BLOOD AND MERCY.
As the fantasy expands, so does the author’s finesse. Again, the atmosphere surrounding Holmes’ saga is mesmerizing, enhancing the credibility of this fantasy tale. And that quality – related in eloquent and imaginative prose – suffuses every aspect of this installment. Holmes’s players grow in stature here, a cast of characters who have become credible even in their fantasy-imposed origins.
Continuing her polished style of composition, Holmes opens with a calendar image from this ‘other place and time’ and maps of the fantasy worlds, as she beckons us to enter this volume with her rich prose: ‘The fourth night on the trail, wolves circled the tens. At the camp’s edge, where cookfire burned, they crept even closer. Rih leaned over, peering past the licking flames at the bright eyes blinking at the edge of the firelight. Already the weather was colder, the air carrying teeth as sharp as those glinting several paces away. “You’d think they’d be frightened, with this many people,” she signed to the woman beside her…’
The saga continues and this episode is well summarized as follows: ‘Keplan reels in the wake of grief and guilt at the blood on his hands. Outside the city walls, however, winter grows fiercer and droughts longer. Alea reforged the fractured world twenty years before --so why is it withering before his eyes? Then, just as he masters being a monarch, a prophet arrives spouting scripture about a One True God. Keplan’s own mother killed the last gods, yet this one matches his description perfectly--and its wrath is about to fall upon Athrolan. Isolated within the same cold, marble walls as Athrolan’s murderous king, Rih struggles to plot her rebellion leagues away from everything she has ever known. With an unexpected ally, she may have finally found a way to the Mirikin Hetmir--until tragedy strikes. With religious fanatics at their walls, blight in their fields, and a king floundering from addiction, Athrolan spirals out of control. Now Rih must choose between a mad king’s life and her own revolution.’
Following this fantasy experience is addictive and thoroughly satisfying. The thunder grows more loud and the passion more rich with each novel. Very highly recommended.
Massachusetts author V.S. Holmes earned her degree Biology for Keene State College and works as a contract archaeologist doing Cultural Resource Management, supplementing her interest in prehistoric people and stone tools. As a disabled and queer human, Holmes is an advocate and sponsor for those writing with disabilities, and is a significant advocate for the LGBTQ community. Her writing is in the SFF genre (Science Fiction Fantasy) and to date she has contributed short stories to four anthologies, as well as her own books – the STARSEDGE: NEL BENTLEY series, and her acclaimed REFORGED series, of which SMOKE AND RAIN was the initial volume, having won the 2015 New Apple Literary Excellence in Independent Publishing Award. The other installments are LIGHTNING AND FLAMES, MADNESS AND GODS, and now BLOOD AND MERCY.
As the fantasy expands, so does the author’s finesse. Again, the atmosphere surrounding Holmes’ saga is mesmerizing, enhancing the credibility of this fantasy tale. And that quality – related in eloquent and imaginative prose – suffuses every aspect of this installment. Holmes’s players grow in stature here, a cast of characters who have become credible even in their fantasy-imposed origins.
Continuing her polished style of composition, Holmes opens with a calendar image from this ‘other place and time’ and maps of the fantasy worlds, as she beckons us to enter this volume with her rich prose: ‘The fourth night on the trail, wolves circled the tens. At the camp’s edge, where cookfire burned, they crept even closer. Rih leaned over, peering past the licking flames at the bright eyes blinking at the edge of the firelight. Already the weather was colder, the air carrying teeth as sharp as those glinting several paces away. “You’d think they’d be frightened, with this many people,” she signed to the woman beside her…’
The saga continues and this episode is well summarized as follows: ‘Keplan reels in the wake of grief and guilt at the blood on his hands. Outside the city walls, however, winter grows fiercer and droughts longer. Alea reforged the fractured world twenty years before --so why is it withering before his eyes? Then, just as he masters being a monarch, a prophet arrives spouting scripture about a One True God. Keplan’s own mother killed the last gods, yet this one matches his description perfectly--and its wrath is about to fall upon Athrolan. Isolated within the same cold, marble walls as Athrolan’s murderous king, Rih struggles to plot her rebellion leagues away from everything she has ever known. With an unexpected ally, she may have finally found a way to the Mirikin Hetmir--until tragedy strikes. With religious fanatics at their walls, blight in their fields, and a king floundering from addiction, Athrolan spirals out of control. Now Rih must choose between a mad king’s life and her own revolution.’
Following this fantasy experience is addictive and thoroughly satisfying. The thunder grows more loud and the passion more rich with each novel. Very highly recommended.
July 23, 2020
Excellent, well written and thorough. The story is an in-depth insight to how Keplan accepts the role of King although he has no concept of what that really means or how to rule. He has friends and enemies, but who to trust. An arranged marriage between a half mad king and a warrior, compassion, deceipt, failure, murder. The characters are well fleshed out and reel you in. Ended well. Recommended.
March 19, 2021
A wonderful close to a superlative series. Holmes takes full advantage of Fantasy's power to use allegory to explore complex and current social issues, and the many dangling threads from the previous books are wound together with true alacrity.
Looking forward to the upcoming flintlock fantasy series set in this world!
Looking forward to the upcoming flintlock fantasy series set in this world!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews