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The Broken Spire
Tales of the flying castle have driven the fate's of humans for generations -- those who quest it, and those who seek to protect it as their home.
Bijan, a treasure hunter and adventurer, is compelled to find the castle of legend and prove its reality... so much so that he allows himself to be taken in by mysterious employers and their unconventional guide. What is their true purpose with the castle in the clouds?
Leandra, princess of the flying castle, finds herself caught in the political games of life in the castle. She is told that she must wed a man she despises in order to preserve her people and their culture, but she knows the lies of men and how they use them to get their way. Can she uncover the truth?
Edric, an apprentice mage prepares for the next stage of his training. He is to come of age as one of the magical guardians of the castle. He knows he should be happy -- proud even -- but there is something sinister on the edges of the ceremony. Why are the mages never seen again once they take their holy vows?
A boy enslaved by magic. A princess imprisoned by her lineage. A man in search of a legend. Their paths will cross as they attempt to escape Appolumi, the flying castle of legend, the mythical forces within, and the bandits from below.
Bijan, a treasure hunter and adventurer, is compelled to find the castle of legend and prove its reality... so much so that he allows himself to be taken in by mysterious employers and their unconventional guide. What is their true purpose with the castle in the clouds?
Leandra, princess of the flying castle, finds herself caught in the political games of life in the castle. She is told that she must wed a man she despises in order to preserve her people and their culture, but she knows the lies of men and how they use them to get their way. Can she uncover the truth?
Edric, an apprentice mage prepares for the next stage of his training. He is to come of age as one of the magical guardians of the castle. He knows he should be happy -- proud even -- but there is something sinister on the edges of the ceremony. Why are the mages never seen again once they take their holy vows?
A boy enslaved by magic. A princess imprisoned by her lineage. A man in search of a legend. Their paths will cross as they attempt to escape Appolumi, the flying castle of legend, the mythical forces within, and the bandits from below.
300 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 1, 2020
Preamble
I went full Christmas trickster for this review. Think a Loki bedecked in a Santa hat, infiltrating a bookstore in a trench coat and intent on getting his holly jollies in the corner resplendent with new book smell. In truth, when I went to preorder Jon Dobbin’s sophomore effort a few weeks ago (and having adored his debut, The Starving), I noticed that, while the Kindle edition was not going to release until today, December 1, the paperback was available for immediate sale and ship. Without breathing a word of it to the creator, I got the book early and dug in.
I would have told Engen Books, local-to-me publisher, about the error, but figured it best to apply two axioms that have served me well in the past: it’s always better to ask forgiveness than permission and the golden rule. As an author, I know how treasured getting reviews is, so what better way to start the advent then by an act of giving?
A note about my reviews: I consider myself an appreciator, not a critic. I know first-hand what goes into the creation of art – the blood, the sweat, the tears, the risk. I also know that art appreciation is subjective and lernt good what mama tell’t me – if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m not a school marm grading a spelling test – I’m a reader who enjoys reading. If a book is entertaining, well-written, and I get absorbed into it, five out of five. I have gone as low as three stars – anything less than that and I will not review a book (chances are I DNFed anyway). Regardless, I wouldn’t even put a star rating system on my reviews but for the reality of storefronts like Amazon.
Take from that what you will.
Review – 5/5
Gaiman (and The Hobbit) aside, how the fuck does one write a fantasy book in single volume format? I’m asking for a friend, but perhaps I found an answer in The Broken Spire. Clocking in at a mere three hundred pages, the thing is downright narrow-spined compared to some of the tomes on my bookshelf. In truth, the format is a little different than what I was expecting, and when I put down the book I wasn’t sure how I felt.
Upon reflection, I’ve decided that I love it.
The story is not really about characters, though they are in there. One of the weaknesses of the short length is the lack of space for deep characterization, at least beyond the immediate desires and aversions of the cast of human beings with whom you familiarize yourself over the course of the relatively brief read. If I had to name the ‘main’ characters, I would narrow it down to two: Edric, the apprentice mage, and Bijan, the swashbuckling thief. There is also Leandra, the princess of Appolumi, but she doesn’t really go through a whole lot besides simple betrayal and a tumultuous end to childhood, whereas the arcs for the other two show a bit more development. And let’s not forget about the shapeshifter with the strange mix of unknown motivations and a heart of gold, Boon. But if I had to name the character of the novel, it would be the floating castle / kingdom, Appolumi.
I mean, it’s right there, front and center on the cover: a floating castle with a bunch of water running over one side. The artwork and graphic design of the cover is absolutely amazing, just like the cover to The Starving was. As an aside, I’m not sure to which gods Dobbin and Engen have made appropriate sacrifices in this regard, but I would say: keep doing what you’re doing.
I appreciate that Dobbin does not belabour description of the setting too much, but he gives just enough for one’s imagination to fill in the rest. On the ground, Bijan starts out in a 1001 Arabian Nights-esque medieval type thingie place, where the smell of incense and thieves getting their hands chopped off (no, worse!) is thick on the market air. He meets up with ‘the raiders,’ a faceless horde of ne’er-do-wells which makes Bijan an offer he can’t refuse: apply that outstanding thievery brain of yours to finding the missing castle of legend, Appolumi.
Or, you know, die.
In the air, Edric is apprenticed to an ancient dickwhacker by the name of Hesperos, the kind of stinking maw villain who just seethes impotent rage (along with the tuna breath). Except his rage is potent, cause he’s backed up with ‘untold magical power.’ Not the ‘pew pew lightning bolt lightning bolt’ LARPy wizard kind of power, more like ‘pick you up and throw you bodily’ kick-ass telekinesis (a shadow of the stuff keeping Appolumi afloat in the skies for a century).
Edric’s childhood friend, Princess Leandra, is next in line for the throne after dear old Dad, who is basically the fucked-up version of the King of Rohan, all vegetable like and barely cogent beyond dooming his daughter into marriage to Joffrey-lite, a noble whose name escapes me (and I’m not checking the book, because fuck him, amirite?) She is also harried by Daddy’s dickhead advisor, Obelius, who is pressing for the marriage to Joffrey-lite because women cannot rule because vaginas. Good thing Alethea, her old lady’s maid, is there for support and jokes at the terrible situation.
And it is a terrible situation. Appolumi has been flying around the world for nearly a century, kept afloat by sickening black magic that would give a stiffy to the most ebony-hearted of necromancers. The place is fucking sick and evil in more ways than one, despite the veneer of propriety that shows its cracks the further you get into the story. To the people on the ground, it’s just a legend. To those on Appolumi, they think that they have narrowly escaped a plague.
In short, those in the castle think they’re all alone, those on the ground think the place is full of dead people. Hijinks ensue.
I suspect, based on the afterword, that most of the book was completed during COVID-19 lockdown times. It has a distinct smell of allegory about it, one that I won’t get into too deeply. Suffice it to say that the people from the ground who manage to get onto Appolumi want out, those who live there want out, too. The magic is dark and fed by the enslavement of souls, a fate towards which Edric is barreling at full speed. What are the residents of the castle prepared to sacrifice for their own comfort, what deals with the devil are they prepared to make?
The ending is strange, in that it’s more of a new beginning, which is the way life tends to work. Non-traditional, but not to a fault. Rather, to its credit. It definitely left the door open for a sequel, but I wonder – where does one go from the end? What else does Dobbin have in the tickle trunk of his imagination? Because, I’m ready for it. Between his taut prose, extreme skill with concrete imagery, and razor-sharp communication of mood, Dobbin has shown himself to be a storyteller of extreme talent.
Check out The Broken Spire – you won’t regret it.
I went full Christmas trickster for this review. Think a Loki bedecked in a Santa hat, infiltrating a bookstore in a trench coat and intent on getting his holly jollies in the corner resplendent with new book smell. In truth, when I went to preorder Jon Dobbin’s sophomore effort a few weeks ago (and having adored his debut, The Starving), I noticed that, while the Kindle edition was not going to release until today, December 1, the paperback was available for immediate sale and ship. Without breathing a word of it to the creator, I got the book early and dug in.
I would have told Engen Books, local-to-me publisher, about the error, but figured it best to apply two axioms that have served me well in the past: it’s always better to ask forgiveness than permission and the golden rule. As an author, I know how treasured getting reviews is, so what better way to start the advent then by an act of giving?
A note about my reviews: I consider myself an appreciator, not a critic. I know first-hand what goes into the creation of art – the blood, the sweat, the tears, the risk. I also know that art appreciation is subjective and lernt good what mama tell’t me – if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m not a school marm grading a spelling test – I’m a reader who enjoys reading. If a book is entertaining, well-written, and I get absorbed into it, five out of five. I have gone as low as three stars – anything less than that and I will not review a book (chances are I DNFed anyway). Regardless, I wouldn’t even put a star rating system on my reviews but for the reality of storefronts like Amazon.
Take from that what you will.
Review – 5/5
Gaiman (and The Hobbit) aside, how the fuck does one write a fantasy book in single volume format? I’m asking for a friend, but perhaps I found an answer in The Broken Spire. Clocking in at a mere three hundred pages, the thing is downright narrow-spined compared to some of the tomes on my bookshelf. In truth, the format is a little different than what I was expecting, and when I put down the book I wasn’t sure how I felt.
Upon reflection, I’ve decided that I love it.
The story is not really about characters, though they are in there. One of the weaknesses of the short length is the lack of space for deep characterization, at least beyond the immediate desires and aversions of the cast of human beings with whom you familiarize yourself over the course of the relatively brief read. If I had to name the ‘main’ characters, I would narrow it down to two: Edric, the apprentice mage, and Bijan, the swashbuckling thief. There is also Leandra, the princess of Appolumi, but she doesn’t really go through a whole lot besides simple betrayal and a tumultuous end to childhood, whereas the arcs for the other two show a bit more development. And let’s not forget about the shapeshifter with the strange mix of unknown motivations and a heart of gold, Boon. But if I had to name the character of the novel, it would be the floating castle / kingdom, Appolumi.
I mean, it’s right there, front and center on the cover: a floating castle with a bunch of water running over one side. The artwork and graphic design of the cover is absolutely amazing, just like the cover to The Starving was. As an aside, I’m not sure to which gods Dobbin and Engen have made appropriate sacrifices in this regard, but I would say: keep doing what you’re doing.
I appreciate that Dobbin does not belabour description of the setting too much, but he gives just enough for one’s imagination to fill in the rest. On the ground, Bijan starts out in a 1001 Arabian Nights-esque medieval type thingie place, where the smell of incense and thieves getting their hands chopped off (no, worse!) is thick on the market air. He meets up with ‘the raiders,’ a faceless horde of ne’er-do-wells which makes Bijan an offer he can’t refuse: apply that outstanding thievery brain of yours to finding the missing castle of legend, Appolumi.
Or, you know, die.
In the air, Edric is apprenticed to an ancient dickwhacker by the name of Hesperos, the kind of stinking maw villain who just seethes impotent rage (along with the tuna breath). Except his rage is potent, cause he’s backed up with ‘untold magical power.’ Not the ‘pew pew lightning bolt lightning bolt’ LARPy wizard kind of power, more like ‘pick you up and throw you bodily’ kick-ass telekinesis (a shadow of the stuff keeping Appolumi afloat in the skies for a century).
Edric’s childhood friend, Princess Leandra, is next in line for the throne after dear old Dad, who is basically the fucked-up version of the King of Rohan, all vegetable like and barely cogent beyond dooming his daughter into marriage to Joffrey-lite, a noble whose name escapes me (and I’m not checking the book, because fuck him, amirite?) She is also harried by Daddy’s dickhead advisor, Obelius, who is pressing for the marriage to Joffrey-lite because women cannot rule because vaginas. Good thing Alethea, her old lady’s maid, is there for support and jokes at the terrible situation.
And it is a terrible situation. Appolumi has been flying around the world for nearly a century, kept afloat by sickening black magic that would give a stiffy to the most ebony-hearted of necromancers. The place is fucking sick and evil in more ways than one, despite the veneer of propriety that shows its cracks the further you get into the story. To the people on the ground, it’s just a legend. To those on Appolumi, they think that they have narrowly escaped a plague.
In short, those in the castle think they’re all alone, those on the ground think the place is full of dead people. Hijinks ensue.
I suspect, based on the afterword, that most of the book was completed during COVID-19 lockdown times. It has a distinct smell of allegory about it, one that I won’t get into too deeply. Suffice it to say that the people from the ground who manage to get onto Appolumi want out, those who live there want out, too. The magic is dark and fed by the enslavement of souls, a fate towards which Edric is barreling at full speed. What are the residents of the castle prepared to sacrifice for their own comfort, what deals with the devil are they prepared to make?
The ending is strange, in that it’s more of a new beginning, which is the way life tends to work. Non-traditional, but not to a fault. Rather, to its credit. It definitely left the door open for a sequel, but I wonder – where does one go from the end? What else does Dobbin have in the tickle trunk of his imagination? Because, I’m ready for it. Between his taut prose, extreme skill with concrete imagery, and razor-sharp communication of mood, Dobbin has shown himself to be a storyteller of extreme talent.
Check out The Broken Spire – you won’t regret it.
October 27, 2020
Jon Dobbin knocks it out of the park during his sophomore run, switching from western horror into high fantasy. Is there anything this author can't do?
January 1, 2021
The Broken Spire is filled with captivating characters and a wonderful world. Featuring a castle in the sky, the journey is one to remember.
The intertwining stories of the Princess Leandre, Edric the Mage and the adventurer Bijan work brilliantly together. The way the story is laid out keeps you turning the pages. Each character's journey is intriguing and the pace between each perspective was perfectly paced.
Jon Dobbin's second novel proves he is a force to be reckoned with in any genre.
The intertwining stories of the Princess Leandre, Edric the Mage and the adventurer Bijan work brilliantly together. The way the story is laid out keeps you turning the pages. Each character's journey is intriguing and the pace between each perspective was perfectly paced.
Jon Dobbin's second novel proves he is a force to be reckoned with in any genre.
Read
November 16, 2022A fun and involving adventure. Dobbin continues to prove his gift at creating a believable world and characters you care about. This book masterfully balances the stories of the three main characters, all of whom are trapped by their life in some way. While it is self-contained it does leave a few lingering questions as well as making the reader want to explore more of the world. Well worth the time of anyone looking for a well crafted tale.
October 11, 2021
The Broken Spire is like a warm fuzzy blanket of high fantasy, a tale for those of us who grew up on Weiss, Hickman, and Salvatore, or the rousing cinematic fantasy adventures of the ‘80s. It is all of that, every inch, but told with a modern gusto and literate sense that is better than any old Conan pastiche or Dungeons & Dragons campaign that was clumsily shoehorned into novel form.
It moves at breakneck pace, with an economy of writing that manages to create a vivid scene like few authors can, and none of the clumsy missteps in world building and over-explanation that can bring a good fantasy tale crumbling to the ground.
Dobbin again proves that he can weave a tale out of thin air that’s both heartwarmingly familiar and yet wholly new.
This one is a must for Fantasy fans.
It moves at breakneck pace, with an economy of writing that manages to create a vivid scene like few authors can, and none of the clumsy missteps in world building and over-explanation that can bring a good fantasy tale crumbling to the ground.
Dobbin again proves that he can weave a tale out of thin air that’s both heartwarmingly familiar and yet wholly new.
This one is a must for Fantasy fans.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews