Status Updates From Terra Incognita: Lost World...

Just finished "Necropolis Gemstone" by John C. Hocking. Really enjoyed it. For some reason, it's pacing reminded me of the Indiana Jones movies. It was cinematic in its plot beats. I really liked the way the group of adventurers were at odds with eachother, were thrown together in tentative alliance. That changed things, made it really fascinating.

Started John C. Hocking's, "Necromancer's Gemstone."

Just finished Milton Davis's "The Warriors of Mogai." Really good. Very mythic quest story. 😊⚔️📚

Finished J. Thomas Howard's story. It was the shortest in the anthology so far. It's really good, a gateway fantasy vaguel reminiscent of Thomas Covenant (in terms of concept, not style). Loved the final scenes.

Now reading Seth Lindberg's, "One Hive, Two Queens."

"The Place of Unutterable Names" by Adrian Cole was an excellent Cthulhu mythos pastiche. It features the Pleateu of Leng and a variety of cosmic horror spectacles.

The Old Serpent is helping Akram and his compatriots. 🤓☕️📚

Started David C. Smith's, "Shadow of the Serpent."

J. Thomas Howard's "Siege of Eire" is bloody Celtic sorcery and blade fun. Reads a bit disjointed but excitement carries the day.

Lindberg's dyscrasia world is f'd up, dudes. Half the time I'm lost amid a world of strange ideas and words, while the rest of the time sex and blood eagerly soak up and whisk away my confusion. There's beauty almost devine allied with diabolical ugliness, and then there's the good parts. He definitely took me to a land beyond my imagination.

I'm certain Adrian Cole wrote a spot-on Great Old Ones tale. How am I so sure? I never enjoyed these and skim much of their long-windedness...as happened here.

David C. Smith is an elegant writer. His opening story, regardless of all the thunder and violence and danger thrumming about it, is really simply about Akram. About the immortally cursed/blessed warrior and also about the surprising idea the serpent people are not always the immediate enemy. It was indeed a strange and not so well known world.

With the ending focused on Helsa/Hanuvar world-building could have been stronger in relation to aforementioned character.

"She knew there was more to it than that, but she didn’t ask for details."

Passive voice completely unnecessary. If PoV is strong throughout it helps to support the voice as a whole, bringing life to the main character via the written word / reader dynamic...

"There was more to it than that, but Jessa didn’t ask for details."

"Jessa was sure Hanuvar would somehow drag him forward, or trip him into the cavity." This is the first we hear of this cavity. How did it get there and why weren't we told? READER must come 1st.

This hole, (which I predict will resolve all threads), should have been written into the story with intention. It is an important key plot device and should have been treated as such.

"Were he as he had been when he had ruled as the sorcerer king, he would have laughed at the revenant’s folly."

There are 4 'he's in this sentence. 4 of them.

"The amulet was carried by a man in silly armor perched on top of the
wooden deckhouse..."

We don't know it's one of the revenants until you clue us in. We are only readers. Author took the time in the beginning to describe their black and yellow armor. What was the point of that, if not to reuse the info now?

"Jessa was already calculating the challenges
in front of her."

There is a lot of passive voice in this story. I had not mentioned earlier examples. Passive voice is most apparent when you unwittingly place it upon an action bearing sentence, such as the one above.

And again, haphazard with the 'ing.

A simple: ['Jessa calculated the challenges in front of her.] would have sufficed.

“Do you feel that?” Jessa asked. Dimly, she perceived something
peculiar about the trunks Melara touched, but it was only a vague
sensation.

What was the sensation? We will never know. PoV