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The Crimson Script
Abys-Luthil is a city that stands upon the brink of civil war. Its halls of power darken with growing plots, and rival gangs terrorise its aged streets. Criminals raid stately homes in search of arcane artifacts, as the city's nobles withdraw behind their household guards. Within this city of masks and deceit, Lyra Alpheri moves between the shadows, hunting those who would prey upon the weak. By day she returns to a life of civilised nobility, as the daughter of the renowned magister, Maellon Alpheri. Aided by her friend Kat, and the master of the arcane forge, Virgil, Lyra swiftly brings justice to those who plague the streets. However, it is not long before the political upheaval of Abys-Luthil's scheming magisters brings trouble to her own home, and after the very fabric of her world is ripped from under her feet, Lyra descends into the city's depths to wreak a terrible vengeance. In a journey that runs thick with blood, betrayal and otherworldly power, Lyra walks the darkest of paths, one which soon tests mind, body and soul. But, as the bodies mount, is Lyra in danger of becoming the very evil which she so desperately fights against?
- GenresFantasy
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 9, 2021
4 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 15, 2021
See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!
Thank you to Reedsy for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3/5 stars
While not the most perfectly executed book, The Crimson Script contained undertones of important messages wrapped up in a thrilling high fantasy adventure.
The Crimson Script is an indie book. Indie books tend to be a mixed bag: most of them could use improvement, but once in a while you find a gem hidden amongst rocks. While The Crimson Script wasn't quite perfect, it was definitely one of the better ones I've read!
Why I ended up putting The Crimson Script at three stars is because I'm a little torn. Some parts of it were amazing, but others were lacking. I absolutely adore the premise, but some of the execution was a little off. I liked the big, overarching messages, but all the little details were off, which is annoying. It's so easy to sully a perfect concept with little mistakes.
The next sections might sound like a lot of negative things, but keep in mind that not all of these were that big of a deal in the grand scheme of the story.
The pacing and info dumps at the beginning were so extreme that I couldn't make out the plot. There were some great chapters at the beginning, but most of them bored me.
The worldbuilding was weak. I still don't understand the culture of the world. If you asked me, I couldn't tell you what the cultural significance of masks was, what the point of a Watcher is, or how arcane magic works.
There were a couple of mistakes, some large and others small. But what I loved about The Crimson Script was the overarching messages. This is basically a book about extreme cancel culture. Books burned, people became social pariahs, and nonconformists were forced into hard labor, all in a society that prided itself in being free. Anything that said something that "offended any person or group of people" was destroyed or punished. Although it is nowhere near as bad in real life as it is in this book, it felt all too familiar and provided a layer of depth to an otherwise mediocre novel.
My feelings about The Crimson Script are a mixed bag. I adored some aspects and couldn't stand others. I would keep in mind that this is only the author's debut novel, so keep an eye out!
Click here for the original review on Reedsy.
Thank you to Reedsy for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3/5 stars
While not the most perfectly executed book, The Crimson Script contained undertones of important messages wrapped up in a thrilling high fantasy adventure.
The Crimson Script is an indie book. Indie books tend to be a mixed bag: most of them could use improvement, but once in a while you find a gem hidden amongst rocks. While The Crimson Script wasn't quite perfect, it was definitely one of the better ones I've read!
Why I ended up putting The Crimson Script at three stars is because I'm a little torn. Some parts of it were amazing, but others were lacking. I absolutely adore the premise, but some of the execution was a little off. I liked the big, overarching messages, but all the little details were off, which is annoying. It's so easy to sully a perfect concept with little mistakes.
The next sections might sound like a lot of negative things, but keep in mind that not all of these were that big of a deal in the grand scheme of the story.
The pacing and info dumps at the beginning were so extreme that I couldn't make out the plot. There were some great chapters at the beginning, but most of them bored me.
The worldbuilding was weak. I still don't understand the culture of the world. If you asked me, I couldn't tell you what the cultural significance of masks was, what the point of a Watcher is, or how arcane magic works.
There were a couple of mistakes, some large and others small. But what I loved about The Crimson Script was the overarching messages. This is basically a book about extreme cancel culture. Books burned, people became social pariahs, and nonconformists were forced into hard labor, all in a society that prided itself in being free. Anything that said something that "offended any person or group of people" was destroyed or punished. Although it is nowhere near as bad in real life as it is in this book, it felt all too familiar and provided a layer of depth to an otherwise mediocre novel.
My feelings about The Crimson Script are a mixed bag. I adored some aspects and couldn't stand others. I would keep in mind that this is only the author's debut novel, so keep an eye out!
Click here for the original review on Reedsy.
April 15, 2021
The Crimson Script is Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta meets George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones – a great mix of political machinations, swordplay, gunpowder, magical artifacts and, above all, vengeance. Hull’s prose shines throughout, and while the story takes some time finding its footing, the payoff is worth it. This is one of the better indie debuts I’ve read and I definitely recommend checking it out.
February 27, 2021
More reviews at undertheradarsffbooks.com
3.5 stars but I rounded up to 4
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review. This is SJ Hull’s debut novel and it can definitely feel that way at times, especially in the slower scenes. What the Crimson Script does bring to the table is good worldbuilding mixed with tyrannical tensions and a tale of vengeance. What I see in the Crimson Script is a fantasy version of V for Vendetta with magical artifacts. If you give this novel a little bit of time to breath and grow, you will be rewarded in spades with plenty more to come in the sequel novels.
Our story takes place in Abys-Luthil, which was once two great empires now combined into one. The streets are littered with criminals and the guilds keep vying for power in the forms of arcane artifacts. Artifacts are magical weapons created by a race long forgotten and written in ancient texts very few can decipher. Lyra Alpheri, masked as a cape vigilante traverses the streets at night putting a stop to the guilds plans and protecting the weak. In the daytime, she returns to her place as a noble daughter of magister Maellon Alpheri. Abys-Luthil was once a land ruled by a tyrant, until the people revolted and set up a five magister system elected by the people to speak for the people. To protect the people from the governments power the Vox Militant was created with the intention of taking back the power if the magisters overstepped. Lyra along with her friend Kat and her families master of the arcane forge Virgil will work together to bring justice to those plagued on the streets.
Abys-Luthil is on the brink of civil war, but the real tensions come from war to the north. Chief magister Nihilio decides to make a drastic choice by forging a foreign alliance and to disband the Vox Militant essentially creating an oligarchy not agreed on by the people. Maellon Alpheri is vehemently against these actions of taking the voice of the people away from them. Tragedy soon entails and the Lyra has to escape the carnage of the city. Lyra vows vengeance of the magisters of Abys-Luthil for the devastation they have brought to her family, but she will not do it alone. She will have Kat at her side and a arcane weapon just in case.
Let me get the negatives of the book out of the way before we go any further. The first half of this novel was slow to me with the character interactions seeming to go on for multiple pages at a time. This is done to build the atmosphere of Abys-Luthil and the people that inhabit it. They are some great chapters in the first half, but it is not until the half way point until the pacing and plot kick into overdrive. Lyra turns dark rather quickly, almost to the point where it feels a bit too over the top. This didn’t bother me at all because this reminds me of some people I know if my life who can go from zero to one hundred percent in a blink of an eye. Lyra’s anger is justified and the dark path she goes down was addicting to read. The best part of the story was learning about the arcane weapons, why they are so rare, and how their magic works. Lyra has an awesome arcane weapon that she goes to war with and she will slam a fist at the heart of Abys-Luthil with it.
In conclusion, this was a fun read for me despite the slow beginning. There is plenty of meat on the bone for any fantasy fan to enjoy but especially if you are a fan of vengeance stories, strong female characters, and love V for Vendetta. I would be remiss if I didn’t quote my favorite line from the aforementioned movie. “The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.” Try reading Lyra and not have this quote ringing in the back of your mind, I dare you!
Cheers!
3.5 stars but I rounded up to 4
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review. This is SJ Hull’s debut novel and it can definitely feel that way at times, especially in the slower scenes. What the Crimson Script does bring to the table is good worldbuilding mixed with tyrannical tensions and a tale of vengeance. What I see in the Crimson Script is a fantasy version of V for Vendetta with magical artifacts. If you give this novel a little bit of time to breath and grow, you will be rewarded in spades with plenty more to come in the sequel novels.
Our story takes place in Abys-Luthil, which was once two great empires now combined into one. The streets are littered with criminals and the guilds keep vying for power in the forms of arcane artifacts. Artifacts are magical weapons created by a race long forgotten and written in ancient texts very few can decipher. Lyra Alpheri, masked as a cape vigilante traverses the streets at night putting a stop to the guilds plans and protecting the weak. In the daytime, she returns to her place as a noble daughter of magister Maellon Alpheri. Abys-Luthil was once a land ruled by a tyrant, until the people revolted and set up a five magister system elected by the people to speak for the people. To protect the people from the governments power the Vox Militant was created with the intention of taking back the power if the magisters overstepped. Lyra along with her friend Kat and her families master of the arcane forge Virgil will work together to bring justice to those plagued on the streets.
Abys-Luthil is on the brink of civil war, but the real tensions come from war to the north. Chief magister Nihilio decides to make a drastic choice by forging a foreign alliance and to disband the Vox Militant essentially creating an oligarchy not agreed on by the people. Maellon Alpheri is vehemently against these actions of taking the voice of the people away from them. Tragedy soon entails and the Lyra has to escape the carnage of the city. Lyra vows vengeance of the magisters of Abys-Luthil for the devastation they have brought to her family, but she will not do it alone. She will have Kat at her side and a arcane weapon just in case.
Let me get the negatives of the book out of the way before we go any further. The first half of this novel was slow to me with the character interactions seeming to go on for multiple pages at a time. This is done to build the atmosphere of Abys-Luthil and the people that inhabit it. They are some great chapters in the first half, but it is not until the half way point until the pacing and plot kick into overdrive. Lyra turns dark rather quickly, almost to the point where it feels a bit too over the top. This didn’t bother me at all because this reminds me of some people I know if my life who can go from zero to one hundred percent in a blink of an eye. Lyra’s anger is justified and the dark path she goes down was addicting to read. The best part of the story was learning about the arcane weapons, why they are so rare, and how their magic works. Lyra has an awesome arcane weapon that she goes to war with and she will slam a fist at the heart of Abys-Luthil with it.
In conclusion, this was a fun read for me despite the slow beginning. There is plenty of meat on the bone for any fantasy fan to enjoy but especially if you are a fan of vengeance stories, strong female characters, and love V for Vendetta. I would be remiss if I didn’t quote my favorite line from the aforementioned movie. “The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.” Try reading Lyra and not have this quote ringing in the back of your mind, I dare you!
Cheers!
March 21, 2022
Review to come!
September 9, 2021
This fair and unbiased review originally appeared on my blog, www.infinitespeculation.com, and was conducted with gratitude for the free electronic copy of the book which was provided by the author.
The city of Abys-Luthil is a hotbed of criminal activity, with gangs of outlaws stalking the streets and poverty rife. Crusading against those who would exploit the populace is the masked figure of Lyra Alpheri, daughter of revered public speaker and magister Maellon Alpheri. With the help of her friend Kat and master artificer Virgil, Lyra is able to live the double life of vigilante and noblewoman. But the growing unrest in the city threatens her existence, and soon Lyra is forced into a desperate struggle against forces more powerful than she could possibly have anticipated.
That friendship with Kat is an integral part of the story; as Lyra finds her hands increasingly bloodied from the havoc she wreaks, it’s Kat that she can rely on for support. She’s nothing so mundanely obvious as a moral compass, being a believably flawed and fallible human being herself, but she’s there for Lyra through the good times and the bad. Similarly, Virgil’s counsel is something Lyra can always rely on – despite his irritation with her when he finds she’s “borrowed” items from his armoury – and the three of them make for a formidable and likeable trio. Their relationship isn’t soft and fluffy, but they clearly all care for each other in a way that feels very natural.
Also along for the ride are Rillo and Aequo, stalwart veterans of the city’s Vox Militant. The pair have an easy camaraderie that makes dialogue between the two of them entertaining to read, with friendly jibes and war stories making their way into their exchanges in a way that feels entirely justified. They’re likeable enough to have more time than they get here, in fact, but an abundance of good characters can hardly be said to be a failing. Elsewhere, the character of Maellon Alpheri allows Hull the chance to put his money where his mouth is; so often a character is described as being some kind of amazing orator, only for their speeches to feel no more special than anyone else’s. Not so here – we’re told that Maellon is a great speaker and he actually is, his rousing and passionate rhetoric genuinely powerful and a joy to read.
In fact, what Maellon often speaks about is what makes The Crimson Script really stand out. He’s very concerned with freedom of speech and seeing things done in the proper, democratic way, making his beliefs and personal philosophy extremely pertinent to our current age of cancel culture and group-thinking factionalism. He makes it clear on a number of occasions that freedom of speech extends to even people you don’t agree with; not that contentious a point ten years ago or so, but one that social media seems to need reminding of all too frequently. Hull’s “reminder” here takes the form of an entertaining, pacy, action-packed fantasy with some surprisingly visceral combat, its central message clear without resorting to browbeating.
The city itself is packed with history, which we’re shown just enough of to pique our interest and get a sense of why certain things are important, without there being too much of an information overload. Abys-Luthil comes across as something of a melting pot of the classical world and a fantasy one, which makes it feel unique yet familiar at the same time, cultural touchstones and references to historical figures and events providing a framework for some of Hull’s more fantastical ideas. There’s a real sense of there being a big wide world outside of the city’s borders too, one that would no doubt be just as entertaining to uncover.
The Crimson Script is a lot of fun, and its strong messages and likeable characters mean it has more staying power than other, more throwaway fantasy titles. It will be interesting to see where things go, should a sequel be forthcoming (fingers crossed).
The city of Abys-Luthil is a hotbed of criminal activity, with gangs of outlaws stalking the streets and poverty rife. Crusading against those who would exploit the populace is the masked figure of Lyra Alpheri, daughter of revered public speaker and magister Maellon Alpheri. With the help of her friend Kat and master artificer Virgil, Lyra is able to live the double life of vigilante and noblewoman. But the growing unrest in the city threatens her existence, and soon Lyra is forced into a desperate struggle against forces more powerful than she could possibly have anticipated.
That friendship with Kat is an integral part of the story; as Lyra finds her hands increasingly bloodied from the havoc she wreaks, it’s Kat that she can rely on for support. She’s nothing so mundanely obvious as a moral compass, being a believably flawed and fallible human being herself, but she’s there for Lyra through the good times and the bad. Similarly, Virgil’s counsel is something Lyra can always rely on – despite his irritation with her when he finds she’s “borrowed” items from his armoury – and the three of them make for a formidable and likeable trio. Their relationship isn’t soft and fluffy, but they clearly all care for each other in a way that feels very natural.
Also along for the ride are Rillo and Aequo, stalwart veterans of the city’s Vox Militant. The pair have an easy camaraderie that makes dialogue between the two of them entertaining to read, with friendly jibes and war stories making their way into their exchanges in a way that feels entirely justified. They’re likeable enough to have more time than they get here, in fact, but an abundance of good characters can hardly be said to be a failing. Elsewhere, the character of Maellon Alpheri allows Hull the chance to put his money where his mouth is; so often a character is described as being some kind of amazing orator, only for their speeches to feel no more special than anyone else’s. Not so here – we’re told that Maellon is a great speaker and he actually is, his rousing and passionate rhetoric genuinely powerful and a joy to read.
In fact, what Maellon often speaks about is what makes The Crimson Script really stand out. He’s very concerned with freedom of speech and seeing things done in the proper, democratic way, making his beliefs and personal philosophy extremely pertinent to our current age of cancel culture and group-thinking factionalism. He makes it clear on a number of occasions that freedom of speech extends to even people you don’t agree with; not that contentious a point ten years ago or so, but one that social media seems to need reminding of all too frequently. Hull’s “reminder” here takes the form of an entertaining, pacy, action-packed fantasy with some surprisingly visceral combat, its central message clear without resorting to browbeating.
The city itself is packed with history, which we’re shown just enough of to pique our interest and get a sense of why certain things are important, without there being too much of an information overload. Abys-Luthil comes across as something of a melting pot of the classical world and a fantasy one, which makes it feel unique yet familiar at the same time, cultural touchstones and references to historical figures and events providing a framework for some of Hull’s more fantastical ideas. There’s a real sense of there being a big wide world outside of the city’s borders too, one that would no doubt be just as entertaining to uncover.
The Crimson Script is a lot of fun, and its strong messages and likeable characters mean it has more staying power than other, more throwaway fantasy titles. It will be interesting to see where things go, should a sequel be forthcoming (fingers crossed).
June 16, 2021
The Crimson Script is a thoroughly enjoyable read with a great cast of characters, intense action, political scheming and a deep and well-realised world. It gets very heavy and emotional at times, with often gruesome violence, but it’s well balanced with humour and lighter character moments. The story is underlined by strong themes around freedom of speech and examines the importance of the ability to freely criticise the government.
Following along with Lyra’s journey of vengeance was thrilling, and the supporting cast of characters were great fun. I think my favourite characters were the soldiers Rillo and Aequo for their absolute banter and the way their personalities complemented each other so well. On the whole, all of the characters are pretty well-rounded and feel real. Humour is used to good effect with character interactions and serves to balance out the more dark and gritty aspects of the plot. This means that the book never gets weighed down by its own themes while at the same time allowing for some very beautiful introspective character moments.
The depth of world building in here is one of the book’s strengths. The society and culture of Abys-Luthil is an intriguing mix of Regency and Ancient Rome that works really well. Plus there’s the steampunk influence merging magic and guns that gives it a unique edge. There’s more than a little influence to be felt here from Dante’s Divine Comedy as well - especially in the classical names and roles of some of the characters. All that being said, I would like to have seen a more explicit explanation of the magic system in the world. The technique used to deliver the information for it was good on a technical level with tidbits sprinkled throughout the narrative, however. Arguably that’s the best way to do it and it’s clearly a “hard” magic system (working within a set of known limitations) but I would liked to have seen more of those limits in the story.
The structure and plot is very well paced. There are no places in which I felt it got too bogged down in anything unimportant. Everything was, for the most part, driving the plot forwards. Although there is one regrettably large info-dump detailing the history of the city that could have been spread out more like how the explanation of the magic system was. This wasn’t a big deal, however, because SJ Hull’s prose is excellent. It’s beautiful, flowing, evocative and fairly unique in its descriptive style. In short, the whole book is an absolute joy to read, and the quality of the prose goes a long way to covering over some of the weaknesses in sentence structure or the odd typo here and there. I would also like to have seen more of Lyra and Kat’s vigilantism that we’re introduced to at the very start of the book. The plot pivots in a few unexpected places that broke with my expectations in a good way, and the ending was both immensely satisfying and left me wanting a sequel.
The Crimson Script is an excellent debut novel, and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun and action-packed fantasy.
Following along with Lyra’s journey of vengeance was thrilling, and the supporting cast of characters were great fun. I think my favourite characters were the soldiers Rillo and Aequo for their absolute banter and the way their personalities complemented each other so well. On the whole, all of the characters are pretty well-rounded and feel real. Humour is used to good effect with character interactions and serves to balance out the more dark and gritty aspects of the plot. This means that the book never gets weighed down by its own themes while at the same time allowing for some very beautiful introspective character moments.
The depth of world building in here is one of the book’s strengths. The society and culture of Abys-Luthil is an intriguing mix of Regency and Ancient Rome that works really well. Plus there’s the steampunk influence merging magic and guns that gives it a unique edge. There’s more than a little influence to be felt here from Dante’s Divine Comedy as well - especially in the classical names and roles of some of the characters. All that being said, I would like to have seen a more explicit explanation of the magic system in the world. The technique used to deliver the information for it was good on a technical level with tidbits sprinkled throughout the narrative, however. Arguably that’s the best way to do it and it’s clearly a “hard” magic system (working within a set of known limitations) but I would liked to have seen more of those limits in the story.
The structure and plot is very well paced. There are no places in which I felt it got too bogged down in anything unimportant. Everything was, for the most part, driving the plot forwards. Although there is one regrettably large info-dump detailing the history of the city that could have been spread out more like how the explanation of the magic system was. This wasn’t a big deal, however, because SJ Hull’s prose is excellent. It’s beautiful, flowing, evocative and fairly unique in its descriptive style. In short, the whole book is an absolute joy to read, and the quality of the prose goes a long way to covering over some of the weaknesses in sentence structure or the odd typo here and there. I would also like to have seen more of Lyra and Kat’s vigilantism that we’re introduced to at the very start of the book. The plot pivots in a few unexpected places that broke with my expectations in a good way, and the ending was both immensely satisfying and left me wanting a sequel.
The Crimson Script is an excellent debut novel, and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun and action-packed fantasy.
March 14, 2021
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
The Crimson Script is a tale of two halves. The latter half is fun, fast-paced, action-packed and a lot of interesting stuff is revealed. The first half is everything the second half wasn't. It started out with promise but very quickly it became bogged down in unnecessarily large info dumps (these would go on for pages every time a new character or place name was introduced and really took me away from the story). Another aspect that sucked me away from the plot the author was trying to tell, were the impossibly long conversations. Conversations that either added very little to the plot or simply went on for upwards of three or four pages at a time with the sole aim of giving the very preachy characters a chance to get very preachy.
The info dumps were culled as the book ploughed on into the second half, but the incredibly long conversations were not. Nor was the preachy nature of the characters. It became a tad grating and made it hard to see where one characters thoughts and ideals stopped and another's begun.
The action, as mentioned before, was fast-paced and incredibly fun. SJ Hull is very talented where writing such scenes is concerned. I also really enjoyed the artificer aspect of the world being created. I felt it was a far nicer touch than just out and out magic that so many fantasy novels just throw in because, in this day and age, you can't have swords without sorcery. So the thought gone into the artificing was wonderful.
Another slight critique of the Crimson Script would be that I felt it was all main plot with next to no sub plots. The book felt quite long because of this and certain things just happened, mostly because certain characters had arranged for it behind the scenes, but we were never given any insight or explanation other than 'I've been talking to a few people'. It would have been nice to have more of a look into the machinations of the story beyond Lyra and her murder hobo character development. Yes, I get that she suffered and incredibly traumatic experience, but the sheer speed at which she goes from a polite vigilante who gets knocked on her arse in training, to a borderline murderous psychopath who has no equal in combat was just a tad fast. I'm not a fan of stories where I never feel like the main characters have a chance of failure and, with the Crimson Script, none of the characters ever felt like they came close to failure. Personal loss is great and needed for character development, but so is fallibility.
The story became a lot more addictive nearer the latter stages, a testament to the pace and enjoyment of the action scenes (plus the revelations being unveiled), I just feel like the negatives mentioned above, for me at least, held it back from ever being something I could truly sink my teeth into.
The Crimson Script is a tale of two halves. The latter half is fun, fast-paced, action-packed and a lot of interesting stuff is revealed. The first half is everything the second half wasn't. It started out with promise but very quickly it became bogged down in unnecessarily large info dumps (these would go on for pages every time a new character or place name was introduced and really took me away from the story). Another aspect that sucked me away from the plot the author was trying to tell, were the impossibly long conversations. Conversations that either added very little to the plot or simply went on for upwards of three or four pages at a time with the sole aim of giving the very preachy characters a chance to get very preachy.
The info dumps were culled as the book ploughed on into the second half, but the incredibly long conversations were not. Nor was the preachy nature of the characters. It became a tad grating and made it hard to see where one characters thoughts and ideals stopped and another's begun.
The action, as mentioned before, was fast-paced and incredibly fun. SJ Hull is very talented where writing such scenes is concerned. I also really enjoyed the artificer aspect of the world being created. I felt it was a far nicer touch than just out and out magic that so many fantasy novels just throw in because, in this day and age, you can't have swords without sorcery. So the thought gone into the artificing was wonderful.
Another slight critique of the Crimson Script would be that I felt it was all main plot with next to no sub plots. The book felt quite long because of this and certain things just happened, mostly because certain characters had arranged for it behind the scenes, but we were never given any insight or explanation other than 'I've been talking to a few people'. It would have been nice to have more of a look into the machinations of the story beyond Lyra and her murder hobo character development. Yes, I get that she suffered and incredibly traumatic experience, but the sheer speed at which she goes from a polite vigilante who gets knocked on her arse in training, to a borderline murderous psychopath who has no equal in combat was just a tad fast. I'm not a fan of stories where I never feel like the main characters have a chance of failure and, with the Crimson Script, none of the characters ever felt like they came close to failure. Personal loss is great and needed for character development, but so is fallibility.
The story became a lot more addictive nearer the latter stages, a testament to the pace and enjoyment of the action scenes (plus the revelations being unveiled), I just feel like the negatives mentioned above, for me at least, held it back from ever being something I could truly sink my teeth into.
March 15, 2021
I received an Advance Reader Copy of the book to review. I found The Crimson Script to be an exciting read that draws you in and makes you want to know what happens next. It centres around Lyra Alpheri, the vivacious daughter of politician Maellon, and her response to an unjust tragedy. I felt that I got to know the characters well, and I enjoyed how the author brought them all together by the end, making the book feel very three-dimensional. Without intruding on the drama of the story it also raised an interesting political commentary. A great adventure.
August 7, 2021
The Crimson Script ended up being nothing like I imagined it would be and I loved it! By day Lyra Alpheri is the daughter of Magister Aplheri, a respected family amongst Abys-Luthil politicians and it’s people, by night however she is the Lady, a vigilante who stalks the street aiming to thwart the gangs of Abys-Luthil. But all that changes after one fateful event that will change Lyra’s life, and have the potential to change the world as she knows it. Lyra is set on a path of revenge, one she is not sure she can, or wants to, come back from. Alongside her long time friend Kat, her families Artificer Virgil & two members of the Vox Millitant, Lyra follows a path she never expected, one that leads to revenge, but also to Lyra learning secrets about her family as well as herself.
The characters are definitely one of the main strengths of this book. We get introduced to a big bunch, quite early on in the book but each is well written and developed so no matter how much page time they get, they still manage to make an impression. Lyra was my favourite character and I found myself almost instantly bonding with her. She wants to fight for what is right, for those who can’t fight for themselves. When one night something unthinkable happens, the only think that saves Lyra’s life is her ability in a fight. She is shrouded in self-doubt, always thinking she should/could have done more, but the more that comes to light the more Lyra realises this is a battle centuries in the making and she will need to rely on everything and everyone around her if she is to survive.
Though this is without a doubt Lyra’s book it is told in 3rd person and so we get POV’s from a whole host of other characters; Kat, Lyra’s best friend and partner in crime. She has lived with the Alpheri’s since they took her in as an orphan and has been training under Virgil to become an artificer, Virgil is the Alpheri’s artificer and another person who is like family to Lyra, he hides a host of secrets but all he has done has been to ensure her safety. Rillo is the captain of the Vox Millitant, an army in place to ensure the safety of the people, he is brutal and determined never to answer to the Magisters instead of those he serves and Aequo a Sergeant under Rillo, he likes a drink more than most but is invaluable in a battle and one of the few people Rillo trusts with his life. All of these characters are unwittingly drawn together and I loved all their interactions, their scenes together made for some humorous and sometimes emotional scenes, but they became an almost found family to each other.
There were a few things about The Crimson Script that fell a little flat so I’ll just get those out of the way. The first half of the book was slightly info dumpy, we get introduced to a whole host of people and the author spent pages on character interactions so you could understand their relationships, whereas the end of the book absolutely flew by but we were left with a lot of unanswered questions. I do feel like the first half of the book could have been significantly shortened to make more room to give us a proper introduction to the world as well as more of an insight into some reveals that happen in the second half. My other issue, and this is probably just personal preferences, but the chapters were long, the first chapter alone is 10% of the book and I found myself flicking though wondering how much longer I had to read before it ended. But as I said, it might just be me because I prefer shorter chapters.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the fantasy world, and the author brought in political and social disparity making it come to life even more. Through the story the author deals with some hard hitting topics such as suppression of free speech, but they also bring a levity to the book through the character interactions so it doesn’t feel too dark. As I said there was a lot that could have been developed more, Lyra gets introduced to a whole new side of Abys-Luthil as well as herself, and this simply wasn’t given enough page time to truly make sense. The main plot of The Crimson Script was tied up fairly well by the end, but the author also manages to leave us with a cliff hanger as well as plenty of unanswered questions. I’m not sure if this is a standalone or the start of a series, but I would certainly be interested to return to Lyra’s world and catch up with where out characters are now.
The other big selling point of this book was the authors descriptive writing. As much as I feel the world could have been developed better, the side of it we do see is expertly brought to life. We see the disparity between the two sides of the city Abys & Luthil both socially and economically, but my absolutely favourite descriptions came from the epic battle scenes we get treated too. The battle’s are brought to life in the best way, we not only see hand to hand combat but also the characters using the artificer designed weapons. These were easily some of my favourite parts of the book, and the author certainly knows how you keep you white knuckled and glued to the pages, never quite sure of the outcome.
The Crimson Script took me on a wild ride and I loved following Lyra on her journey of vengeance and self discovery. Filled with a well developed and likeable bunch of characters as well a some epic battle scenes, I found myself flying through the pages and am eager to return to Lyra’s world. An easy 4 stars.
The characters are definitely one of the main strengths of this book. We get introduced to a big bunch, quite early on in the book but each is well written and developed so no matter how much page time they get, they still manage to make an impression. Lyra was my favourite character and I found myself almost instantly bonding with her. She wants to fight for what is right, for those who can’t fight for themselves. When one night something unthinkable happens, the only think that saves Lyra’s life is her ability in a fight. She is shrouded in self-doubt, always thinking she should/could have done more, but the more that comes to light the more Lyra realises this is a battle centuries in the making and she will need to rely on everything and everyone around her if she is to survive.
Though this is without a doubt Lyra’s book it is told in 3rd person and so we get POV’s from a whole host of other characters; Kat, Lyra’s best friend and partner in crime. She has lived with the Alpheri’s since they took her in as an orphan and has been training under Virgil to become an artificer, Virgil is the Alpheri’s artificer and another person who is like family to Lyra, he hides a host of secrets but all he has done has been to ensure her safety. Rillo is the captain of the Vox Millitant, an army in place to ensure the safety of the people, he is brutal and determined never to answer to the Magisters instead of those he serves and Aequo a Sergeant under Rillo, he likes a drink more than most but is invaluable in a battle and one of the few people Rillo trusts with his life. All of these characters are unwittingly drawn together and I loved all their interactions, their scenes together made for some humorous and sometimes emotional scenes, but they became an almost found family to each other.
There were a few things about The Crimson Script that fell a little flat so I’ll just get those out of the way. The first half of the book was slightly info dumpy, we get introduced to a whole host of people and the author spent pages on character interactions so you could understand their relationships, whereas the end of the book absolutely flew by but we were left with a lot of unanswered questions. I do feel like the first half of the book could have been significantly shortened to make more room to give us a proper introduction to the world as well as more of an insight into some reveals that happen in the second half. My other issue, and this is probably just personal preferences, but the chapters were long, the first chapter alone is 10% of the book and I found myself flicking though wondering how much longer I had to read before it ended. But as I said, it might just be me because I prefer shorter chapters.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the fantasy world, and the author brought in political and social disparity making it come to life even more. Through the story the author deals with some hard hitting topics such as suppression of free speech, but they also bring a levity to the book through the character interactions so it doesn’t feel too dark. As I said there was a lot that could have been developed more, Lyra gets introduced to a whole new side of Abys-Luthil as well as herself, and this simply wasn’t given enough page time to truly make sense. The main plot of The Crimson Script was tied up fairly well by the end, but the author also manages to leave us with a cliff hanger as well as plenty of unanswered questions. I’m not sure if this is a standalone or the start of a series, but I would certainly be interested to return to Lyra’s world and catch up with where out characters are now.
The other big selling point of this book was the authors descriptive writing. As much as I feel the world could have been developed better, the side of it we do see is expertly brought to life. We see the disparity between the two sides of the city Abys & Luthil both socially and economically, but my absolutely favourite descriptions came from the epic battle scenes we get treated too. The battle’s are brought to life in the best way, we not only see hand to hand combat but also the characters using the artificer designed weapons. These were easily some of my favourite parts of the book, and the author certainly knows how you keep you white knuckled and glued to the pages, never quite sure of the outcome.
The Crimson Script took me on a wild ride and I loved following Lyra on her journey of vengeance and self discovery. Filled with a well developed and likeable bunch of characters as well a some epic battle scenes, I found myself flying through the pages and am eager to return to Lyra’s world. An easy 4 stars.
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