Gleam Upon the Waves

The Bell Forging Cycle #4

by K.M. Alexander

In the lower depths of the city of Lovat, a King Tide rises. On the mantle of this aberration rides a vile stench that permeates the city from root to crown. When a job comes along for Caravan Master Waldo Bell and his crew offering a chance to slip away, it’s easy to be interested. When it comes from the city’s newly elected mayor, it’s impossible to ignore.

Outward bound on an enormous floating casino Wal finds himself out of his element. This won’t be routine caravan work. This job is more diplomacy than delivery, taking Bell Caravans out of the shadowed warrens and off dusty trails to the canals of Empress, the mysterious capital of the hermit-nation Victory.

But, things are never simple in the Territories. As the situation grows increasingly complicated and sinister forces begin to circle, Wal will discover darkness runs deeper than he ever thought possible; reality is not what it seems, and a new apocalypse is closer than anyone predicted.

Genres: Horror

504 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 30, 2021

About the author

K. M. Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native and novelist living and working in Seattle. His work explores nontraditional settings within speculative fiction, bending and blending genres to create rich worlds and unique, approachable characters.

Follow his exploits at kmalexander.com.

Reviews

[J. Rushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

K.M. Alexander has proven himself a world-building master with his series the Bell Forging Cycle. From cityscapes to monstrous wild-west-esque landscapes each book lets the reader explore this unique world from a new angle. Gleam Upon the Waves takes us onto the water for deeper dives into both the spiritual and political spheres of Lovat. Full of intrigue, danger, and cosmic machinations, this book is an excellent addition to the series and makes me excited for what's to come.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*. Great to be back in the Territories following the adventures of Wal and the gang as they see off another First.

[Ziggurnaut · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's something of a mystery to me how a book this good doesn't already have hundreds or thousands of reviews. If it sounds remotely like something you'd be interested in, you owe it to yourself to give it a read. This is an original world with characters you'll be rooting for in a story that's fast and agile and satisfying. The one caveat I'd add is that this is the fourth in a series. Every book in the series is good and I think it would make sense to begin at the start, but if this is the one you're interested in, then it's a fine place to enter the sprawling, dreamlike world of The Territories.

[Lynn Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for any adventurous soul

Wow. This series so far has been such a great read. I keep telling my friends an anyone else who will listen that it would make a great D&D module! I cannot wait for book 5!

[Jennifer Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

K.M. Alexander has created a world that's rich and multi-layered (literally and figuratively!, blending elements of Lovecraft-worthy horror, urban fantasy, dimensional shifts, and jazz riffs. This is the latest installment of a series featuring a band of enterprising outsiders led by a wisecracking hero who'd be at home in a Raymond Chandler novel. In GLEAM, they take on a job that might just involve saving the world as they know it—if they can—while our hero edges closer to the truth about his destiny.