The Three Faces of Dissatisfaction

by M.C. Burnell

The Twin Cities of Liath and Tamren. Home to a multitude of races, faiths, and industries, the Cities are a destination for immigrants seeking their fortune and relative freedom. Once an outpost of the world's greatest empire, the Cities have since flourished under the benign negligence of the Gash, a formerly nomadic warrior tribe taken root as Liath-Tamren's aristocracy. Now, though, the river that divides the Cities carries change on its currents. While their overlords scheme on unwitting, the peoples of Liath-Tamren have begun to eye one another suspiciously again. One day, the boy Pinchlin's destitute, drunken father makes a bold promise of impending riches, a return to the comfortable life they lost so mysteriously, and so suddenly, a year ago. Instead, he vanishes. Pinchlin will be drawn quickly into a web of dueling sorcerous cults, racial unrest, and foreign intrigue that threaten to throw the Cities into chaos. The Three Faces of Dissatisfaction is the first book from American fantasy author M.C. Burnell. Fascinating for its milieu as much as its action and characters, The Three Faces is a fantasy adventure for anyone who has ever loved a city.

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 23, 2010

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. Multi-POV in a very interesting and interconnected fashion, engaging characters and story that kept me turning page after page after page. There's a spot in the book where my heart was racing and I found it hard to breathe, with how very on point and well-crafted the author's words were to absolutely drag me into the thick of their world.

Highly recommend!

[Jonathan Avants · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent, deeply interwoven storytelling

I was very satisfied by the end of this novel. There is a lot to love here, but what I enjoyed most was the fascinating setting and the pov of Japhet and his little sidekick, Pinchlin. I liked the mixture of brainy, highly detailed prose and (what felt like) a soft magic system. There are a lot of other pov’s, and at times, staying on top of all the place names and characters mentioned took some energy, but by the end I appreciated how deep the author dove into the heads and setting of this fantasy world. It felt like a solid launching point for an intelligent and deep series. Stick with it, as the pay off felt worthwhile. Strong recommendation.

[Badi Ddu]

I read this series 0 The Foreign Sorcerer series - several years ago but it appears that the author has gone back and redone and revised the originals, available on Amazon. The original Foreign Sorcerer was very good with a wealth of fascinating characters in a plot of magic and back-stabbing intrigue. This version is now slimmed down.

The improvements are evident. Fewer words, more to the point, as the author has improved her craft. The story in The Three Faces of Dissatisfaction is the same as the original. Same characters, same situation, but a quicker, easier read. The plot keeps you on your toes as it is rapid-fire action.

Another benefit for lovers of fantasy is that the entire series is already complete. None of this baloney of waiting indefinitely (or maybe forever) for the author to get off his duff and finish the series. Truly a good read.

[Alan Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hidden Gem of a Book – Non-Spoiler review

I am really surprised that I am the only person to leave a review of this wonderful book.

M.C. Burnell story telling is intelligent, bright, intriguing, and makes want to ‘just read one more page’.

The characters are believable, multi-dimensional and like everything else about this book well written.

Since this is a non-spoiler review, I would like to suggest that you go to this book on Amazon, click on “Look inside”, read the first few pages, and if like me you are instantly hooked, then press the buy button. Treat yourself.