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The Kraken Imaginary
Corax, Master Logician and investigating philosopher, travels far over land and sea to intervene in the trial of a woman. She’s a bard of uncommon skill, celebrated across the known world, but that means nothing to the fanatic monks who hold her imprisoned on their remote island. They’ve deemed her seductions and heresies a corrupting influence; she must pay for her transgressions. The desperate Corax finds unexpected allies, members of a shadowy organization called The Kraken Imaginary. They conspire to release the bard from her stone cell and escape together. The bard waits, impatient, composing satires. She expects nothing less than rescue, but she has a mission to complete; she must see the fabled kraken in the flesh. Does it lurk within a sea-filled grotto under the island, as the bard believes? A trans-species communion is worth the risk of descent, she thinks. But the kraken is not a creature of trifles, not a monster to arouse without consequence. What follows is an epic tale, as a warrior and a lapsed monk join Corax to journey across a continent, fending off stone giants, pirates, the manipulations of gods, and the perils of war. Their quest for belonging in an unjust world takes them into the bowels of the earth where darkness and chaos reveal wondrous secrets. They are driven in pursuit of elusive dreams, dedicated to fealties they barely understand. Despite their doubts, there is no course but onward into realms of mystery and magic. Will they find identity, love, or even friendship? Or will they perish, done in by the violence of the world? Melding myth and philosophy, Wright’s thrilling novel accompanies the eccentric triad as they venture into the tentacular unknown.
James Wright’s The Kraken Imaginary is a dynamic, fluid, sexually enlightened romp through a Terry Pratchett-esque world slightly to the left of our own. At the intersection of mythology and fantasy, filled with arresting locations and characters you immediately fall for, the book guides you confidently through a tale of gods and goddesses and the passions of the mortals at the mercy of their whims. Wright’s intelligent and heartfelt prose paints a story that is both classic fantasy and relevant to today set in an upbeat and refreshing world where kindness, love, and compassion are the hallmarks of heroes.
- W.V. Fitz-Simon, The Witch of Cheyne Heath series
The Kraken Imaginary is an immersive adventure that threads in unpredictable ways through tales enlivened by familiar and yet newly imagined myths, monsters, and gods. The story is told from the first-person perspectives of three charming characters as they make their way into and out of a series of surreal events that turns their world, and everything in it, upside down.
- Ben Stapp, composer of the “Imaginary Kraken” and the opera “Myrrha’s Red Book”
James Wright’s The Kraken Imaginary is a tale of the weirdly wonderful presented in three parts set in distinct locations, delighting the reader with a highly entertaining blend of myth, folklore, and adventure. That said, The Kraken Imaginary takes us far beyond the confines of much fantasy literature, providing the reader with deeper considerations on stereotyped gender-based roles and the full spectrum of human sexuality. Beautifully written, erudite, informative, and yet totally accessible, The Kraken Imaginary is a breath of fresh air in a genre that too often wallows in obscurity and cliché. None of that here!
- Pete Peru, author of The Reeking Hegs
Wright’s description of place and characters immediately captures our attention…. The author sets his thrilling tale in an archaic environment, where the issues of feminism, war, power, and religion are as pervasive as they are today. And then there is the kraken…
- Anne Weber, author of Constabulary Tales
James Wright’s The Kraken Imaginary is a dynamic, fluid, sexually enlightened romp through a Terry Pratchett-esque world slightly to the left of our own. At the intersection of mythology and fantasy, filled with arresting locations and characters you immediately fall for, the book guides you confidently through a tale of gods and goddesses and the passions of the mortals at the mercy of their whims. Wright’s intelligent and heartfelt prose paints a story that is both classic fantasy and relevant to today set in an upbeat and refreshing world where kindness, love, and compassion are the hallmarks of heroes.
- W.V. Fitz-Simon, The Witch of Cheyne Heath series
The Kraken Imaginary is an immersive adventure that threads in unpredictable ways through tales enlivened by familiar and yet newly imagined myths, monsters, and gods. The story is told from the first-person perspectives of three charming characters as they make their way into and out of a series of surreal events that turns their world, and everything in it, upside down.
- Ben Stapp, composer of the “Imaginary Kraken” and the opera “Myrrha’s Red Book”
James Wright’s The Kraken Imaginary is a tale of the weirdly wonderful presented in three parts set in distinct locations, delighting the reader with a highly entertaining blend of myth, folklore, and adventure. That said, The Kraken Imaginary takes us far beyond the confines of much fantasy literature, providing the reader with deeper considerations on stereotyped gender-based roles and the full spectrum of human sexuality. Beautifully written, erudite, informative, and yet totally accessible, The Kraken Imaginary is a breath of fresh air in a genre that too often wallows in obscurity and cliché. None of that here!
- Pete Peru, author of The Reeking Hegs
Wright’s description of place and characters immediately captures our attention…. The author sets his thrilling tale in an archaic environment, where the issues of feminism, war, power, and religion are as pervasive as they are today. And then there is the kraken…
- Anne Weber, author of Constabulary Tales
590 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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June 15, 2022I don't do star reviews, but highly recommend this luminous novella collection. Secondary world (but with strong similarities to our world's ancient history) fantasy stories which interweave amongst each other. Hilarious and entertaining while philosophically exploring the nature of, well, everything. Strong character development and well crafted story telling. Will be on my best reads of 2022 list, for sure. Good for fantasy fans, especially role playing gamers & history fans.
January 20, 2023
Loved this book!
This is a complex and beautifully written novel weaving myth and philosophy into an epic journey. The novel is set in an alternate realm and begins with a female monk being persecuted by leaders within her monastery, with passionate rescuers fighting to free the oppressed visionary. What initially appears as a rescue effort, though, quickly turns into a journey of individual evolution for each of the three protagonists (a philosopher, a lapsed monk, and a warrior). The adventures encountered illustrate the personal challenges and development of each protagonist in turn, all while defying heteronormative gender roles and stereotypes. This novel demonstrates how people can shift their mindsets and forge their own destiny, even while grappling with overwhelming situational challenges and significant internal struggles. The end result is a fresh, compelling adventure with unpredictable twists and turns involving complex characters who display the best elements of humanity. A fantastic read!
This is a complex and beautifully written novel weaving myth and philosophy into an epic journey. The novel is set in an alternate realm and begins with a female monk being persecuted by leaders within her monastery, with passionate rescuers fighting to free the oppressed visionary. What initially appears as a rescue effort, though, quickly turns into a journey of individual evolution for each of the three protagonists (a philosopher, a lapsed monk, and a warrior). The adventures encountered illustrate the personal challenges and development of each protagonist in turn, all while defying heteronormative gender roles and stereotypes. This novel demonstrates how people can shift their mindsets and forge their own destiny, even while grappling with overwhelming situational challenges and significant internal struggles. The end result is a fresh, compelling adventure with unpredictable twists and turns involving complex characters who display the best elements of humanity. A fantastic read!
January 3, 2023
A rich, many tentacled beast. A trio of interwoven fantasy tales featuring characters that seem, at first, to be archetypal: the cleric, the scholar, the fighter, conjured in a 70s basement during a sweaty summer round of the devil's Dungeons & Dragons. Like the fabled kraken, however, Wright expands his literary tendrils through these characters, infiltrating and exploding them and their stories into something that is new, modern and exciting. He explores the value of a name and the labels we hold dear or cast off in an eclectic, realized setting. The text is long, but there is nary a wasted word or beat. This work has heft. Girth. Weight. Worth.
January 28, 2023
Great read! Highly recommended
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews