The Isle of a Thousand Worlds

Weirdwater Confluence

by Dan Fitzgerald, Dani Finn

An aging alchemist seeks the key to the Universal Tincture said to unlock the Thousand Worlds of the mind, but she never expected to solve the riddle of her hermetic heart.

A meditation acolyte travels the mystical social media known as the Caravan and finds that the Thousand Worlds lie just below the surface, if she can only learn to see the space between the stars.

This spicy romantic fantasy exploring the union of the physical and the metaphysical is book 2 of the Weirdwater Confluence duology.

It is the sequel to The Living Waters, but it could be read as a standalone.

Author's note: this book contains explicit, consensual sex scenes between characters in their 60s and should not be read by anyone under the age of 18.

300 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2022

About the author

Fantasy and romance author of the Maer Cycle trilogy (low-magic fantasy) the Weirdwater Confluence duology (sword-free romantic fantasy), and the in-progress Time Before Trio (spicy romantic fantasy). The Time Before Trio will include The Delve (a smutty dungeon crawl, out now), Wings so Soft (an owl-themed fantasy romance, out now), and Cloti's Song (a poly fantasy romance, February 2024).

I also have a short romance: Unpainted (a queer arranged marriage fantasy romance, a standalone in the world of the Weirdwater Confluence) and another one coming, Jagged Shard (an enby/sapphic dungeon crawl fantasy romance coming early 2024, a standalone in the Time Before featuring characters from The Delve).

I write non-epic fantasy books, mostly romantic, in which you will find:

Mystery. Darkness. Wonder. Action. Romance. Otherness examined and deconstructed. Queer and straight characters living and fighting side by side. Imaginary creatures and magic with a realistic touch.

What you won’t find in my books:

Wholesale slaughter. Sexual assault. Unquestioned sexism or discrimination. Evil races. Irredeemable villains. Predestined heroes. An ancient darkness that threatens to overspread the land.

Catch me on Twitter or Instagram as danfitzwrites.

Reviews

[FantasyBookNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, let's get this party off the ground!

I liked this book and it was unlike anything that I have read before!

I think before we start the review, we need to talk about the fact that this book has a good dose of rumpy pumpy in it. And I have to admit, in general, I am not one for books with a bit of a saucy romantic edge to them. Yep, I can cope with a bit of the Luvvy Dubby stuff, but on the whole, my ethos tends to revolve around the 'quick, shut your eyes! They're doing it!' kind of philosophy. Yeah, I know, sex is a pretty necessary part of life, and it should be easy to read about, coz we are all grown ups here!
However, I have to say that I didn't mind the fact that there was sex in the book and it added to the story and felt like a natural part of the two main characters relationship.

The story centres around the two main characters of the book, Patia and Gilea.

Patia, if you recall had her laboratory destroyed in The Living Waters when the roughabout with Leo et al went to visit her, and The Living Waters did a daylight smash and grab number on her quiksilver and ran off with it.

This left her in a bit of a pickle. However, one day, she hears that one of her former colleagues/professors have found a way to make something called a Universal tincture which lets you enter this thing called The Caravan and talk brain to brain with other people in The Caravan.

The caravan is a pretty cool thingymajig, and we tend to see this through the other main character of the story, Gilea (if you have read earlier reviews, or you have read the earlier book,you will recognise the name from The Living Waters).

In response to the fact that Patia's business has now pretty much sunk due to the fact that she has lost all her collateral that lets her make her meditation tinctures, she decides to set off for pastures new and investigate this Universal Tincture malarky, and get in on the act.

In the process of searching for the truth of the Universal Tincture, she sets up shop with another alchemist, Gero, which evolves into a relationship.

Meanwhile, Gilea is getting deep into this Caravan thingymajig, setting up a deal with the Maer for their stock of Sunstone (which happens to be an energy source for the Caravan) and discovers that there is a nefarious plot abroad, whilst trying to manage her relationship with Temi.

I enjoyed The Isle of a Thousand Worlds a lot. It was a bit of a breath of fresh air in all honesty, and a welcome reprieve from the frenetic pace of my normal reads. And I think this is one of the strong points of the book, in that the pacing is quite sedate and moves along at a pretty evenly, which makes everything in it to be very organic in its development.

For instance, the relationship between Patia and Gero doesn't get straight into it, it evolves naturally into where it is going. Similarly with Gilea's storyline, and it evolves layer on layer.

Another reason that I enjoyed this book immensely was the fact that the main protagonists are not young whippersnappers chasing about the land carrying out quests, coming of age and all the rest of the stuff that happens in fantasy. Now I don't have a problem with this normally, but I have to say it wasn't until I was presented with a book that had older protagonists in it that I realised how much I enjoyed this differing view. Yes there are plenty of books with older protagonists, but quite rare that they are in their sixties and nearly seventies. And I cannot say how much I enjoyed this aspect of the story.

Dan Fitzgerald writes wonderful characters and I was enthralled with them all. Patia, as an older woman is aware of her needs and wants, and her life experience makes her such a wonderfully rounded character. Whilst Gero is an older gentleman, there is a childlike quality to him that is quite sweet. We get to see more of Gilea and Temi's relationship, which at times can be bittersweet as they have to navigate their involvement as two very different people with different goals and aspirations.

I have to admit there were a couple of times that I did wonder how the two story lines would impact an each other and how they would intersect, as they seem to be two completely separate stories. However, I needn't have worried because Dan Fitzgerald nicely ties the two stories together.

Now, I know that The Isle of a Thousand Worlds will not be for everyone, but me personally, I really enjoyed it. Yes it is different! Yes it has some steaminess to it and romance, but I enjoyed all these aspects, and found the book to be a breath of fresh air.

If you liked this review and you want to catch more of my whitterings about books I have read visit www.fantasybooknerd.com

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS. BOOK. WAS. AMAZING.

Was? Is? I’m not sure at this point, although I am fairly sure that ‘amazing’ is not a strong enough word for The Isle of a Thousand Worlds, because it was one of those books where when I reached the end I just had to sit there and try and absorb it.

I was still trying to absorb it this morning.

I’m still trying to absorb it now, and honestly, I am not sure I am ready to do this book justice – but I have to try because I want more people to pick this one up.

Okay, let’s start at the top, and I have to admit that as excited as I was about The Isle of a Thousand Worlds – to the point where it is one of my most anticipated releases for 2022, there was also a little trepidation as I went into it, just simply because I adored The Living Waters so much that I was worried about the level of expectations I was putting on this sequel.

I needn’t have worried, because Fitzgerald has knocked it out of the park with this one.

As with the first book, I couldn’t put this one down – or if I did, it was constantly there on the edge of my thoughts and it has never been so hard to focus on adulting as it was yesterday, and the second I was done with stuff I had to do I was back with The Isle of a Thousand Words and didn’t put it down until I finished… and even now I can’t stop thinking about it, teasing at the threads of it and I think I will be for a while, either that or I’ll end up picking it up again and rereading it almost immediately to chase down more of the delicious little details that are all throughout this book.

I am going to start with the characters, because as well as genre-breaking books, I definitely associate Fitzgerald’s books with absolutely fantastic characters, and in the Isle of a Thousand Isles we see the return of some wonderfully familiar faces, some that we only glimpsed in the previous books and some wonderful new characters. He continues to go from strength to strength with his characters, and what I love is that no matter how different they may be, culturally, personally, they are also wonderfully human and believable – and how that plays into the rest of the world. The connections between characters, whether fleeting or lingering, or whether mental or physical are all the more real and grounded because of that wonderful characterisation that made it feel like regardless of what was happening on the page, we were right there and experiencing the moment with the characters.

It was a joy to see some very familiar faces in Temi, Gilea and Leo. With Gilea very much stepping into the limelight here, and it felt very much as though she was coming into her own, and again there was that feeling that her journey was very much about the internal becoming external. Learning to embrace everything she was and had, to shape her fear and choices into action, and in many ways, it felt as though she grew the most. I would have loved to have seen a little more of Temi, and yet the way Fitzgerald handles her and the distance between them was beautiful, and I loved that the growth of the connection between them felt so natural (and so much of what Temi said resonated deeply).

I said that my only complaint about The Living Waters was that I wanted more of Temi and Gilea – and to be honest, I still feel that way just because I love the relationship between the two of them so much. However, Fitzgerald more than delivered, and I loved that he maintained that feeling of that last, reluctant bud flowering in spring to start with, before watering it and allowing it to bloom. The connection was still there, and I maintain that some of the most beautiful moments are about these two – whether together in person or across great distances, or just reliving those moments of connection, and seeing them come together again had the biggest smile on my face.

“I’ve pictured it so many times, but I never believed I would actually make it, that you would be here waiting for me. It feels like a dream.”

Leo was still a joy to read about, and I will admit there was relief when we returned to him – as I finished the first book really wanting to give him a hug, and there was something comforting about seeing him in his natural element, being himself. In many ways, he feels like the connective tissue in this series, linking the different groups in his own way.

I always thought it would be hard for Temi to be replaced as my favourite, but Fitzgerald has really challenged that belief with Patia. We had met her briefly in The Living Waters, but now we really get to know her and she is a marvellous and utterly real character, with rough edges and flaws, and a stubborn streak a mile wide. There’s always something wonderfully enriching about a character with life experience, and Patia has that – and I loved that we got to see elements of what had shaped her with memories of her life in Rontaia and her interactions in Guluch towards the start of the book, as well as seeing her being unabashedly herself. She really did steal the show for me in this book, and right from the beginning I was invested in her story, and what I loved the most was that her growth was incredibly personal – and it was interesting in this world of characters finding themselves in multiple ways (across both books), to see someone who was firm and established in who they were find new aspects of themselves. I knew that she was my favourite when there was a moment towards the end of the book that had my heart in my mouth.

‘She eyed the chickens in their wicker cages at several stalls, pretending not to hear the prices called out by the barkers until she heard the lowest number. She haggled for the customary five minutes before leaving with a trussed and squawking chicken…’

Patia is paralleled in some ways and wonderfully matched by Gero. They both have that life experience, that certainty of who they are, but in some ways it felt like she was the Earth and he was the Moon, anchoring her into his orbit. I remember I was a tiny bit dubious about him at the beginning, and yet within such a short space of time, Fitzgerald had me invested in this wonderful man, who also grew throughout this book even though he was more established in some ways than Patia was.

(Also I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the best girl in the whole book – Vera. )

However, what really made Patia and Gero – who were both such wonderful individuals was the relationship that developed between them. I will say straight up that I often find steamy romance something that is very much hit or miss, and more often the latter, but I was so supremely confident in Fitzgerald’s writing and characterisation that I had zero hesitation in picking this one up – and I am glad I did. He’d already more than proved what he could do with connections and relationships, but it reaches a new level here and I think the reason why this one worked so well for me is that both characters are far more than the relationship. They are such strong individuals, with lives of their own that are brought together, and the connection that develops takes the time it needs and folds in so many elements – from working together to the simple trust and freedom to allow the other to be who they need to be, to the homely moments of chores and eating together and quiet touches. It’s such a rich relationship before you take in the physical aspects and I loved that you can see that connection flow into the steamier aspects, and there was such a wonderful sense of balance and respect and again that human, natural feel that Fitzgerald can bring to his characters that it felt very much like ‘yes, of course, this is happening’ as natural as breathing. Those scenes are beautifully written, with emotion woven throughout and I just loved every moment the two of them spent together, and just the sheer care and devotion in those moments were something to behold as was the spice :D.

This was another book of contrasts. In some ways, this book felt more intimate and personal, from the relationships between Temi and Gilea, and Patia and Gero, to the repeated motif of ‘within and without’ and the connections inside and out, and there was a lot of focus on those internal journeys and realisations. (And actually, another relationship that I really have to mention was Gilea and Amini – it was just such a warm relationship, and even with the stakes involved, the trust and support were lovely to behold.) However, even as this book embraced that feeling of intimacy, the world itself was expanding – from all the little details from the differences in practices between the various crossroads and cities, the world(s) that opened up with the Caravan (and some of my favourite imagery was in the scenes in the caravan), and even geographically with the Isles and the sea caves – and I loved that The Isle of a Thousand Worlds maintained that joyous respect and observance of nature and it’s bounty.

I also have to say that I spent a large chunk of this book with my mouth-watering. The descriptions of the food in this book were divine, and I would happily sample any of the food mentioned in this book.

Another contrast was that this was an intensely character-driven story, incredibly personal in its exploration and development of the relationships. And yet, at the same time, it was dealing with issues and possibilities that could affect the world as a whole – from the economy being maintained and bartered over in The Caravan, to the search for the Universal Tincture and what that could mean for the world. Yet, Fitzgerald balances those contrasts wonderfully, and it leads to such a complete experience that you can just lose yourself in the fabric of the world and the story he has woven here.

The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is another example of sword free fantasy (although there is a sharp knife involved, and I will give you three guesses who carries it), and I just think that Fitzgerald has found and crafted such a gem with this subgenre. Again, this is not a book that lacks in tension or stakes or risk, and while the action was different in this one, it was no less gripping or powerful. There are many forms of conflict, and connection, and stakes and this series shows just what can be done when you lay aside the swords.

“My mind and heart are open to you.”

The Isle of a Thousand Worlds was an absolute delight to read, and Fitzgerald is a must-read for me and I am already ridiculously excited for his next project The Delve. An absolutely perfect follow up to The Living Waters, and yet a wonderfully creative and open individual work that shines in its own way, it was fantastic to return to this world, to find more little connections between all his works. The Weirdwater Confluence is something different, and something much needed in this chaotic world of ours, and I honestly cannot put into words just how much I have enjoyed this series, and all I can say is open your mind and give yourself the pleasure of losing yourself in this story.

“Here’s to the salt air, to friends old and new, to travels past and journeys to come.”

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to Escapist Tours for an eBook in exchange for an honest review
“To these fish, the water is one world and the air another. Who is to say which world is more real? There are a thousand worlds, a thousand realities, but they are all connected. They are all one…You will come to see this too, given time and experience.” Dan Fitzgerald, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds
The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is a beautifully written novel that explores the mind and body connection, the physical and emotional connection, and delves deep into the metaphysical. The Wierdwater Confluence Duology is very unique in the way the novels are connected. In most duologies, the second book is often a direct continuation of the first. The Living Waters explored the natural world, the mystery of the beings inhabiting the Living Waters, the understanding of interconnectedness and acceptance. There is one book exploring the world around us, and the Isle of a Thousand Worlds focusing on the inner self, emotional connections, and the pleasure of sex and love. While the majority of the characters in The Isle of a Thousand Worlds we met in The Living Waters, we are introduced to several new and important ones. The novels are linked by two characters, Gilea, who was a main character in The Living Waters, and Patia, an alchemist that Leo and Sylvan met briefly when the swirling water had stolen her quicksilver, a necessary ingredient for her tinctures. It is Gilea and Patia who are the main protagonists in the The Isle of a Thousand Worlds. At the end of the Living Waters, Gilea parted temporarily with Temi, whom she fell in love with, to expand on her practice of meditation, leading to the metaphysical world of The Caravan. We find out that Patia is heading for the city of Ronatai to find the alchemist who has supposedly discovered the Universal Tincture, which would lead to access of the Isle of a Thousand Worlds. While Gilea continues her studies with her mentor Amini, Patia meets another alchemist in Rontaia, Gero, and the two them begin a partnership in both making tinctures and spiciness, as Mr. Fitzgerald would say.
I loved so many aspects this book. There are two strong female protagonists in Gilea and Patia. The exploration of the metaphysical world is so detailed, so calm, and soothing, it made me want to meditate (and given my personality, it’s something I’ve never tried). Patia is simply an amazing character. She is straightforward, holds nothing back from Gero as to her tincture making abilities, and certainly lets him know. She knows her business as well as he does, and will not be held back because she is a woman. Gero sees this in Patia and comes to respect and care for her. Patia is sexually free, and makes no apologies that she has had quite a few lovers. As she and Gero work together, their relationship evolves to both business and pleasure. I must admit that it has been quite some time since I have read a book with explicit sexual scenes. It’s not because I object, it’s simple that the books I have read did not have them. Needless to say, I was curious as to how this would be handled. Second reason I loved this book was the sex. Why? Kudos to Mr. Fitzgerald for having two people in their sixties having a sexually satisfying relationship. They are older, they are described physically as being older, and they are not perfect. They are totally relatable. I absolutely loved this choice. Far too often it is the young, “perfect” couples that we see in a romantic relationship, with the exception of few. For explicit sex, rarely would we see an older couple. Yes, older people have sex. Older people enjoy sex as much as younger people. I felt with Patia and Gero, they were very much in tune with each other. With age comes experience, and it showed in these scenes. It’s important to note that they were neither forced nor there to shock the reader. They flowed naturally from the close bond that Patia and Gero developed. I found it to be quite beautiful.
“Patia, I love you. I”… “I know it sounds ridiculous, a man like me, at this age, falling so completely for someone he’s only just met, but-”
“I love you, too, idiot.” She kissed him gently her head growing light as the unaccustomed emotion spread through her. She had been with many men before and had been very fond of a few of them, but she had thought herself immune to this ridiculous societal notion.” Dan Fitzgerald, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds

Gilea and Temi are equally in love. Another wonderful aspect is the LBGTQIA+ representation int the book. While we do not see much of Temi until later, Gilea is able to connect with her through her mediations, and their love blossoms just as beautifully. The relationship that Gilea shares with Amini is equally lovely, the latter serving as both mentor and friend. She guides Gilea through her meditation and access to the Caravan. She is a gentle soul and cares deeply for Gilea. It is Amini that senses the threat to the Caravan and Thousand Worlds and trusts her completely to help her. Their relationship is also a highlight in the book.
“Gilea’s attention returned slowly as Amini’s gently presence surrounded her like a cloak.
“It’s time we return, for now.”
“So soon? It feels like we just got here”
Amini smiled, cupping Gilea’s cheek with ther warm, wrinkled hand.
“Most people tire after a short while on their first trip…Close your eyes and follow me.” Dan Fitzgerald, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds

What is the Caravan? It is what Gilea, using a tincture, accesses with her meditation; a metaphysical realm, but feels just as real as the physical world. Once accessed, one can travel through the Caravan to different cities, communicate over distances, and when strong enough, manipulate parts of it. There are crossroads to other cities, but Endulai, where Gilea trains, is the center of the Caravan. Much is conducted in the Caravan, but access is through using an alchemic tincture, or just meditation when the mind is strong enough. Patia and Gero are searching for the Universal Tincture which would allow access to the Caravan and The Thousand Worlds to anyone. Someone is trying to stop it, and will do so at any cost.
The pacing and prose were excellent. The narrative flowed smoothly, often one chapter focusing on Gilea, the next on Patia. Some chapters were very short, others longer. It worked perfectly in terms of the reader getting to know the story of both Patia and Gilea, and how they will come to intersect. The meditative parts of the novel were beautifully written, and we were brought into Gilea’s mind and everything she experiences. The gentleness of Amini and the love of Gero were two brilliant additions to this novel and duology.

Overall Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed The Isle of a Thousand Worlds. There were so many wonderful intricacies in it. The difference in the duology was a unique choice. The Living Waters focused on the world around the characters, while this novel explored the mental and physical connections. The strong female protagonists of Gilea and Patia as the focus works exceptionally well. Gilea focused on the mind connection the Caravan and the Thousand Worlds, while Patia, the alchemist, focused on access through a Universal Tincture for all. Patia and Gero’s love story were a highlight for me in this book for several reasons. The explicit sex flowed with the prose, and was in no way gratuitous. It grew from a physical connection to love. I think that explicit sex scenes can add to the narrative of a story, as it did here. It was natural, and an even better choice to have an older couple. It made them very relatable. If fantasies can have wars, blood, gore, slavery, poverty, and a host of other not so pleasant things that also make the story what it is, why should explicit sex not also add to the story? I love all types of fantasy and read my share of war and gore, so this novel was a breath of fresh air. The characters are very well-developed and again it was wonderful to have LBGTQ representation in Gilea and Temi. The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is an amazing follow-up to The Living Waters. Its focus on both the metaphysical and physical connections between the characters made for a unique and truly enjoyable read. I highly recommend both The Living Waters and The Isle of a Thousand Worlds.
Link to review on my website: https://bookandnatureprofessor.com/20...
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[S. Bavey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent a digital arc of this novel, in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

“May the winds blow cool upon your face.”

I thoroughly enjoyed the slower pace of The Living Waters by Dan Fitzgerald (review here), and since The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is its sequel, I was not surprised to find myself enjoying it immensely as well. Characters from The Living Waters do appear in this story, particularly Leo and his dog Sea Wolf, Gilea and Temi, but they are not the main focus of the narrative. Instead the main character is Patia, an alchemist who appeared very briefly in The Living Waters.

There are also cameo appearances and mentions of other characters such as Ujenn from The Maer Cycle and I really enjoyed these little easter-egg type links between the earlier books written by Fitzgerald and these latest novels.


Gilea has her own point of view chapters in The Isle of a Thousand Worlds, and it was great to see her again and find out how things were going in her relationship with painted face noblewoman, Temi. Her increasingly improved aptitude for Endulian meditation is a large feature of this story. Her chapters are much shorter than Patia’s and act as a method to inform the reader about the deep meditative practice which allows its practitioners to visit others in distinct locations, all while meditating in cradles which are located at a temple. This system is known as the Caravan and the use of tinctures prepared by alchemists is important to enable a more stable communication between practitioners. There is rumour of a tincture that is more powerful than all the others, known as The Universal Tincture, which is said to allow its users to communicate with the minds of others without needing to use the Caravan system. Creating this tincture is the dream of all alchemists, since it would be in extremely high demand and very lucrative.

Patia is a well-rounded, confident, independent, middle-aged woman, who I found easy to like. It was refreshing to read a book with an older protagonist, particularly one who is as professionally competent and sexually confident as Patia. She has heard that an old flame from her university days, Paoro, may have succeeded in creating the Universal Tincture, but she suspects that he may need her more careful and measured approach to alchemy in order to bring the tincture to market. This leads to her traveling to Rontaia in search of him, affording her the opportunity to meet and fall in love with an older alchemist, Gero, with whom she embarks on a steamy romance, complete with the practical difficulties and aches and pains associated with older couples. There are some explicit sex scenes in this book and I did take issue with some of the terminology used, as it jerked me out of the romantic feel of those scenes quite harshly.

Patia encounters the mystery of Cloti’s Script in an aged manuscript from the Time Before, which just might hold some clues to the conundrum of the Universal Tincture. Cloti was a famous historical Maer figure of legend whose writings are revered by alchemists.

For people who enjoy a story with animal companions there is not only Leo’s dog, Sea Wolf, but also a cheeky otter called Vera, who often visits Gero looking for snacks.

Fitzgerald’s world-building seems to have improved enormously since Hollow Road, manifesting in this novel via an extremely sensual tone, with attention being given to smells and tastes as well as small details which bring the visual descriptions to life in an enchanting way:

“The smell of fresh tri-fries weakened her knees and her resolve, and she dropped a couple of nomi in the vendor’s hand in exchange for a golden-brown triangle so hot she had to keep moving it from hand to hand. She cracked off a corner in her teeth, keeping her mouth open for a moment so she wouldn’t burn her tongue, then closed her eyes as her mouth exploded with hot, eggy, honey-and-cinnamon goodness.”

“His powerful body odor was rivaled by the metallic tang of the Chemist lamp and the lingering funk of something fishy and rotten.”

“Patia smoked a cheroot as she studied the temple entrance. The building was ancient, its marble walls and columns yellowed and rounded with time, but the hundreds of colorful dyed fabric squares tied to every available structure made it seem almost alive as the breeze circled the wide plaza before it. Endulian acolytes walked in pairs, their robes aggressively drab against the rainbow of fluttering cloths.”

“Patia looked down into the clear water, which was alive with color. Orange anemones billowed with each passing wave as little purple and white striped fish darted in and out of their tentacles. Starfish and urchins dotted the rough bottom, and masses of light green tubelike structures flowed with the current.”

I have enjoyed my time in the calming world of the Weirdwater Confluence duology immensely and would highly recommend it! It is described by the author as sword-free romantic fantasy, but it is so much more than that. A relaxingly-paced, yet intriguing breath of fresh air, woven through with a sensual cornucopia of tantalising smells, richly-described tastes, sights, sounds, warm relationships, mysteries and the occasional unexpected surprise.

[Westveil Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was granted complimentary access to The Isle of a Thousand Worlds as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Escapist Book Tours. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! Also thank you to Dan Fitzgerald for choosing to tour with Escapist, because I was going to go looking for this book anyway, the review tour opportunity was my in with Escapist Book Tours, and it fills that indie/small press SFF hole left in my tour network by the closing of Storytellers on Tour in December. As always, my thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

The Isle of a Thousand Worlds opens with a brief summary of the previous book, The Living Waters, which I appreciated a lot. It was Dan's opportunity to point out important plot points we needed to remember and I think it was done very well. The summary was informative and interesting and exactly as long as it needed to be. If you choose to read this duology out of order, this summary will get you oriented. That said I do still feel that there's a lot more world-building to experience and a lot of returning characters to meet as originally introduced in The Living Waters that is best done first than what you'll get from that summary, and it's even possible that reading The Living Waters second might cause it to seem boring as it does legwork you no longer need it to do. I think the summary is best used as a refresher after reading The Living Waters, no matter how long it's been between books.

I think leaving The Living Waters I was expecting more travelling/exploring in the continuation than we got but I really didn't mind the shift toward settling into new lives. I love that this book placed such a spotlight on imperfect, unapologetic female characters and all-but shoves the men off into very much secondary roles. I'm not used to seeing women written this way, in a fantasy setting, by a male author. There's sex and naked bodies, yes, but those scenes they're not the point of the story, these women aren't objects, and they actually hold a lot of if not all the power in those encounters. On that note I will say that the sex scenes do veer into the realm of being more thoroughly described and readers who don't go for that may not enjoy those scenes. We are warned, "spicy romantic fantasy" appears right in the official synopsis, and if you feel you must gloss over the acts and pretend it's a "fade to black," you won't miss out on key plot points as long as you're skimming for the first possible paragraph to resume on. In that way I suppose I should praise these scenes for being tactfully written. They aren't unnecessary but they aren't essential for plot understanding. They aren't clean but they also aren't excessively vulgar. As a demisexual reader who doesn't read romance novels I might have chosen to skim if I were leisure reading, but I was reading to review so I read every scene and I wasn't too uncomfortable with it.

I also absolutely loved all of the alchemy elements to this book. The specifics of how it works in this world, what lore and legends are tied to it, and what the characters are trying to achieve is obviously unique to this world, but the basic principals of alchemy in this world mirror history and other fictional alchemies. If you're already familiar with the concept from anywhere else then it'll ring true here as well. I've always had a soft spot for fantasy worlds that have science-based magic, and the practise of alchemy is a great way to do that. Everything we discover in this book about The Caravan and the Universal Tincture is fascinating, and I wish this wasn't being called a duology because I want more of this world!

If you're looking for a short fantasy series (just two books!) that puts down the swords and maces but doesn't forget to pack a whole lot of everything else you expect in a character-oriented fantasy plot, read the Weirdwater Confluence books!

[Susan Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Shadow Spark Publishing for my ARC

This is a book to treasure, not just for Christmas, but a forever one for re-readers like me. I just revelled in the textured weaving of words, drawn together to create such an imaginative world - one in which every sight and sound and touch and smell became so vividly imprinted in my mind that they continued to play, scene-by-scene in my head, long after putting the book down. I’m not going to comment on the story details, Dan Fitzgerald is a master storyteller and I guarantee this one will draw you right in, as the separate strands begin to come together. Instead, I’m going to focus on the characters, because they are SO UTTERLY REAL.
I am in love with Patia. I’m an ‘older woman’ too, and Fitzgerald paints her so convincingly: her rightly proud obsession with her craft; her exuberant embracing of the sensual (from the foreplay of shared meals and wine to her pursuit of sexual fulfilment); her alternating tenderness and fierce enjoyment of Gero as she experiences the truth of love for the very first time. The latter, poignantly, after a lifetime of casual encounters—each fulfilling a basic need, body but not mind, fun, but perhaps lonely in retrospect. The spicy sex scenes are hugely enjoyable (and completely believable – warts and all), but it is more than that. This is a love story and the images Patia carries of Gero in her heart made me cry on more than one occasion, particularly when they’re apart. As for Gero, he is so loving, so tender, so unselfishly giving, so absolutely gorgeous (and so darn cute, despite age and infirmity), that if I didn’t have one of my own already, then I would just have to get one.
I won’t preempt your reading pleasure, but I have to mention the alchemical tinctures which enhance their mutual pleasures. Out there somewhere in our world, there must be an alchemist who can mix a potion called “Empathy” so that two people engaged in loving sex (and the sex is both sensitively and realistically described) can actually experience the feelings of the other and allow these to enhance their shared passion and appreciation of each other.
In total contrast, yet, in the end, not a contrast, rather another facet of loving, I delighted in the welcome return of the young couple, Gilea and Temi, first encountered in “The Living Waters”. More tears from me as their yearning for each other is necessarily expressed in letters and messages while they are geographically so far apart. Like Patia and Gero, they, and their innermost shared feelings, are so tenderly described.
Perhaps I’ve said too much. I will leave readers to enjoy their own explorations of this incredibly unique creation of the coppery web of connections in the “caravan”, the threads of “within as without”, and the coming together of times past and present. Like “The Living Waters”, this is a truly exceptional book and I unreservedly recommend it.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in this duology, The Living Waters, holds a special place in my heart. In fact, it holds a lofty position in my top books of all time. When I read it a few months ago I, like many, was going through a rather rough period. I was burnt out, depressed, and struggling to find enjoyment in my favorite hobby, reading. The Living Waters was a splash of cool water and turned out to be everything that I needed at the time (if you’re interested, you can read my full review of The Living Waters here). As you can tell, I was so excited when we were given the opportunity to tour its sequel, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds.

“To these fish, the water is one world and the air another. Who is to say which world is more real? There are a thousand worlds, a thousand realities, but they are all connected. They are all one.”

The Isle of a Thousand Worlds picks up right after the events of The Living Waters (it can be read as a standalone though). Even though the original group has each went their own way, following their hearts and minds to where want or need to be, we still see plenty of familiar faces. The main characters are Gilea, the minder of the painted faces from the last book, and Patia, a character who you may remember from her brief appearance in The Living Waters as the alchemist whose quicksilver had been stolen by the swirls. I must say though that while I ended up loving the POVs of Gilea and Patia so much, I couldn’t help but be disappointed that the one character that didn’t return for this book just so happened to be my favorite from The Living Waters, Sylvan. His absence felt like a void. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing in itself, but maybe it should serve as a testament to how well Fitzgerald writes characters!

Probably the most talked about part of this book has been and will be the relationships. This is Fitzgerald’s spiciest book to date, with several graphic sex scenes throughout. There has been a lot of discourse™ lately about sex scenes, whether they have a place in fantasy and so forth. I’m not going to get into that directly, but I do want to say that The Isle of a Thousand Worlds simply couldn’t be told without them. Whether it was my cup of tea or not, the physical intimacy between Patia and Gero, our geriatric couple, was as absolutely central to the story and the development of the characters as the emotional one shared by Gilea and Temi. In fact, one of the things that I really loved about the portrayal of the relationships was the contrast between the physical intimacy of Patia and Gero and the emotional intimacy between Gilea and Temi. The central tenet in Endulian Meditation of “within as without” was expertly woven into the narrative itself, with our two main characters each representing one part of the philosophy.

She couldn’t believe that this silly little man with his crooked back and his twinkling eyes had captured her heart so entirely.

The plot of The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is mostly slice of life, following Gilea and Patia as they each separately try to find and access the Thousand Worlds, a mystical realm with unlimited possibility you can travel to in your own mind. They each search for answers in their own way, with Gilea learning meditation magic from the Endulian school and Patia taking the more practical route of trying to create the Universal Tincture, a potion made from alchemical science. We briefly wander into the politics of the world, with the Endulian Temple’s control over the mystical Caravan. In this installment, Fitzgerald was much more subtle with his worldbuilding. Where the previous entry in the series was from the point of view of two sheltered nobles venturing into the world for the first time, giving readers the ability to discover the world through their eyes, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is much more metaphysical in nature, with exploration centering within rather than without. While I enjoyed the more philosophical aspects of the story, I really missed that great sense of wonder and exploration from The Living Waters and wished there was deeper worldbuilding. Even this is hard to critique because it, again, plays directly into the theme of “within as without”. If I were to really criticize one aspect of the story, it would be the antagonist (if you can really call them that). The reveal and the resolution happened so quickly and with hardly any build up that it left me feeling like I had missed out on something. Maybe this is my own biases and tastes getting in the way, but I was left feeling unsatisfied. Which in itself is kind of weird because everyone else was getting “satisfied” throughout the entire book, if you know what I mean.

The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is wonderful slice of life style romantic fantasy where the relationships are front and center and in this aspect, Fitzgerald absolutely nails it! The exploration of both Gilea and Temi’s and Patia and Gero’s respective relationships is beautiful in every way and the way in which the author weaves the central philosophy of the Thousand Worlds, “within as without,” into the characters and their relationships is nothing short of masterful. Character driven fantasy at its finest, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is the perfect end to the Weirdwater Confluence (but please can I get a short story or something about Sylvan?)

“To find the Thousand Worlds, we must seek within as without, and in so doing we will see the universe reflected inside us, and ourselves shining down from the heavens.”

[Neil Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to be said about Dan’s ability to make something as etherial as meditation and also love between two aging individuals exciting and fun to read. In this second book of the Weirdwater Confluence we find ourselves back in the same world with familiar characters along with some new ones. The story picks up pretty much right where The Living Waters left off with Gilea returning to Endulai to resume her meditation studies and also brings back a surprising character as well, Patia, who was the one who lost her quicksilver to the swirls in books 1.

What I think Dan does so well at is write in a way that is relaxing yet also intriguing. I wondered what it would be like to meditate to the point of literally venturing into another world. While it’s something anyone seemingly could learn in this book, I do consider it a type of magic as I read because it just has that wow factor that magic in other stories do. All this to say, there is much more time spent around meditation in this book than there was in the other.

One aspect of this novel I enjoyed was getting to explore Rontaia more through the experiences of Patia. We get to understand a little more about how the culture works in this world. I won’t give it all away but you learn how people get food, how trade works, and even see the class distinctions. It’s very well done and easily imaginable which creates an enjoyable world to learn about.

Character wise I was a little disappointed when I started to realize that some of my favorite characters in book 1 were either not going to appear or only had minor roles in this story. However, we get to learn so much more about Gilea and watch her grow in her craft and really get to learn who she is as a person. Sadly, if you are going into this expecting to see her relationship with Temi blossom into something more, you’ll only get a few pages with interactions between the two of them. Even though she is thought about often by Gilea. While this might be considered a little bit of a spoiler by some, it caught me off guard and I would have been appreciated knowing that going in so my expectations would have been different. Patia on the other hand is a feisty woman who certainly knows what she wants in life and fights for it. I like her! Content warning time haha. You see the words spicy in the synopsis and trust me when I say it is SPICY. However, what made it so interesting to me was that Patia and her lover are both far older than I am and it was interesting to read these scenes because people my age just don’t think about living like that at that age. Definitely helped change my perspective on what sex can be like as you get older! Plus it may or may not have given me a few ideas for the present as well haha. Don’t share this review with my wife or she’d be horrified I told you that!

There were several themes of this story that I really enjoyed. First, the question of if man is given access to the power to do everything they’ve ever dreamed of, are they ready for it or can they handle it in the way it deserve to handled? Or would pride, selfishness and the desire for power stand in the way? Second, while striving to become the best you can at your craft is certainly desirable and good, it is certainly not all there is in the world. The final theme that drew my attention was love. A lot can be said about love in this. I’ll let you figure out what. These were the three themes that had me thinking and that I felt were very evident throughout the story.

You might be wondering why I scored this one only a 6.5 after scoring The Living Waters an 8. It’s for a couple different reasons that are certainly subjective and others might completely disagree with. I struggled with this read because the end of book 1 left off on a couple expectation that I don’t believe were met in book 2. Such as Temi and Galia’s relationship and seeing it grow and also the other characters from book 1 who left off to do certain things. I almost expected to follow their journey’s and see more of that. I also found the antagonist in this novel to not quite be as scary as characters found her to be. As I was reading I was expecting a little more difficulty and conflict towards the end but instead it was stifled quickly and that was the end of that. Again, this book is definitely meant to be more calming and contemplative than many of the other books I normally read so others looking for that kind of story will probably love it. Lastly I found the amount of spicy to be a little overwhelming at times. If Patia was around her lover it was almost a guarantee she would try and seduce him. I just found it a little much but I don’t read romance much so maybe it was just the right amount. I wouldn’t know!

The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is certainly a great sequel to The Living Waters. It takes Dan’s world and helps flesh out many parts of it, which makes the story come to life all the more. If you’re trying to decide if reading book two is worth your time let me be the first to say it’s definitely worth the read. I really did enjoy it and think you will to if you were a Living Waters fan. Hopefully we’ll see a book three in the future!

P.S. Also a big thank you to Dan for sending me the ebook to review!

If you would like to see more of my reviews check out: fanfiaddict.com/author/neil/

[Dani Finn]

I reread this book (which I wrote) to see how well the details mesh with The World Within, which comes out soon. I won't give a rating obviously, but here are a few thoughts I had while rereading:

The Gilea chapters really go all in on the meditation magic, and I personally found that quite enjoyable. Some readers are going to hate that part, which is fine! Overall, the Gilea POV was interesting but perhaps there could have been more of it--the book is weighted more toward Patia, though the chapters alternate (Gilea's tend to be shorter).

Patia remains an absolute firecracker. She's a bit crusty and morally on the gray side--she wants what she wants, and she gets it, no matter the risk or the cost. I love that for her.

The main romance felt really sweet to me, plenty spicy for sure but not as much as I remembered. There are fewer spicy scenes than some later books, but the ones there are go pretty hard, so to speak. If you're interested in seeing a couple in their 60s getting their freak on, right this way!

Finally, there are a lot of little connections to the Maer Cycle and to the Time Before series, which should be cool for some readers but could be a trifle distracting to others? idk it's gonna be a personal thing.

Anyway thanks for checking out my little non-review!

[C.K. Sorens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Isle of a Thousand Worlds follows alchemist Patia and mindful Gilea as they explore different sides of the same Universal coin.

Gilea wants to train her mind to be part of the Caravan, a series of interconnected stations that can be reached by the mind while leaving the body behind. Patia wants to solve the ancient mystery of the Universal Tincture, and if she can discover it, anyone would be able to join the power of this connection.

Truly, though, this novel is about how love itself is Universal. How a love that comes from the connection of minds can be as powerful as one that connects bodies. How a lifetime of believing love is a lie can be upended once you meet a person who truly understands and supports you. That is where the beauty of Dan's writing comes into play - showing us that love is love, no matter the form it chooses to manifest.

[Izabela Raittila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine conclusion to Fitzgerald's 'Weirdwater Confluence' duology. Just like 'The Living Waters', this one is a quirky, character driven fantasy romance. Though this time there's also some philosophy, steamy sex scenes, meditations and alchemy magic added to the mix. I really the main characters, especially Patia with her quest to find The Thousand Worlds and her passionate relationship with fellow alchemist Gero.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Another great read from a fantastic author - character driven fantasy at its fine and with a well developed magic system as well. A full review will be on the blog tour as apart of the Escapist book tour coming up soon.

[Bjørn]

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