Chasing Mortality

by Ricky German, Jane Elliott (Cover)

Aedan, an immortal sidhe, must journey through the land of mortals in pursuit of the one who has cursed a mysterious creature known as Linet. Aware that Linet’s sanity is quickly deteriorating, it is a race against time to find her before she becomes something that can bring ruin upon the lands of Eriu. On his journey, Aedan must come to grips with the culture of Milesians, mortals whose ways seem primitive and futile to his sensibilities, a race that still harbors resentment after the war between the two peoples a centruy ago. Still, Aedan must study their mannerisms, in the hope that he can understand the spark that so drives them, a spark that his own kind had lost long ago.

295 pages, Paperback

Published August 13, 2019

Reviews

[Amy Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grand Read

German pens a grand and unique story in Chasing Mortality. I haven't read anything from this author before, and I enjoyed this story. The characters were unique and very flawed, a great combination. The pace of the story fit the story, where some was action packed and other parts needed to slow down slightly. To be honest, I had to look up what sidhe meant, and it made understanding and following the story easier. (If you don't know, a sidhe is fairy people of Irish folklore). So, this was unlike any other story that I've read, and I like learning new things and getting new perspectives of imagination through the mind of other authors. The story brings in the believable, even if almost impossible. This story was intriguing and kept the reader guessing. The plot was good and brought in different areas of nemesis and cultures of the mystical characters and creatures. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.

[Denna · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in Irish folklore about the Tuatha De Danaan, then this is definitely the book for you. I felt this talented author definitely did his homework before he wrote these facinating stories in Chasing Mortality. We learn about a creature who was once human but only wants to fade away, and he's willing to kill anyone who tries to remember him. We meet a familiar who is willing to kill to protect the woman who takes care of him. Also a creature who shows up as an apparition to unwary travelers at an Inn. Three days later they disappear, never to be seen again. In another we have a man who marries a tree, but the tree is much more than it first appears. We have changelings, and mad queens, and portraits that cause people to go insane. Legend says the Tuatha De taught mortals about architecture, the arts, and magic, but they also brought us their darker abilities, including dealings with necromancy. This is a unique read as it is a series of short stories that work to come together as a novel. You feel the tension build in each story as time quickly runs out for Aedan, who has been cursed by the mysterious Linet. I learned a lot about the sidhe and their darker side as the cursed Aedan tries to track down Linet, but we also learn they weren't all heartless when it came to dealing with mortal humans. I personally enjoyed each and every one of the stories in this novel and can't recommend it high enough. It's definitely one you'll want to take a chance on.

[P.J. Roscoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a fantasy book and would never have considered it, but I’m glad I did. I watched the Witcher, on Netflix recently, just as I began reading this book, and it helped me immensely as I could imagine Aeden, the hero of this story, as, the Witcher, as he goes on various adventures and quests in his search for Linet.
I really enjoyed the book, though, the ending was a tad disappointing for me, I expected it to finish another way, but, hey ho, that’s what makes life interesting 😉

[Peter Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Mortality is a fascinating journey that pulls the reader along Aedan's desperate pursuit of the restoration of his birthright...his own immortal status. Every chapter brings the protagonist into a new realm of the Milesian world with many surprises from a (not so mad) man married to a tree to the growth spurting vicious tormenting homunculi babies! Aedan's mission shows his own phenomenological exploration of a culture that resents his very existence due to an ancient conflict. As an outsider his journey is a difficult one but every challenge and expectation is subverted as his own evaluation changes. Ricky German creates an antagonist that matches Aedan as an equal despite her descent into a physical as well as emotional transformation. This was a very different kind of fantasy novel for me to read that kept me turning my pages thanks to an array of stimulating characters and settings. The real joy of this story is the environements that the author throws his protagonist into, they're warm, cold, welcoming, scary and sometimes all at the same time!

A great read!