Category: Terra Chronicles

DETAILS:
Series: Terra Chronicles, #6
Publisher: Shadow Phoenix Publishing
Publication Date: June 21, 2021    
Format: Paperback
Length: 239 pgs.
Read Date: August 8, 2022

What’s Divine and Conquer About?

We know that Silver’s Order has been trying to get him back to HQ for some time, and for reasons he’s not been terribly clear about (as I recall, anyway), he’s been reluctant to listen. So they force the issue by arranging a wedding between him and another Paladin. If he’s going to break it off, he has to be there in the flesh.

But he’s going to need more than a “I don’t want to,” so he enlists Ketayl in an undercover effort—they enter into a courtship relationship and he can say that he can’t get married because he already has an intended. Ketayl has some misgivings, but goes along with it—primarily to help Silver, but she’ll also get a chance to look through the Order’s library and maybe find some info on necromancy that’ll help.

Things start going wrong from the instant they arrive—the Order isn’t crazy about Ketayl’s presence (many of them aren’t crazy about her existence, and a big prejudice against elves is on full display). Things between the Order and Silver start off contentious and get worse. And then Ketayl finds a whole new batch of trouble—TIO kind of trouble. Things go from bad to worse from there.

Marzena and Amanda

There are a whole passel of new characters in this novel—one of the benefits of traveling to a new area and encountering a whole Order. But there are really two characters that we really get to focus on.

Amanda is the young paladin that has been selected as Silver’s bride-to-be. She’s driven and smart. She’s not much when it comes to combat—and really not much of a candidate for the order, you get the idea that there’s something not that impressive about her. But she’s good at doing what she’s told, and will do whatever she can to accomplish it—including going through Ketayl.

The other Paladin we really get to know is their Weapons Master, Marzena. She was a fantastic character—the way she quickly embraced Ketayl and resumed the old friendship with Silver in a heartbeat was great. We aren’t used to people outside the TIO knowing Silver so seeing that he has at least one great friend in the world from years ago helps solidify his character. But beyond that, Marzena is exactly what the book needed for the plot, a bit of fun, and perspective on all the events surrounding Ketayl and Silver. She’s definitely the MVP of Divine and Conquer, and I hope we see her again soon.

Ketayl’s Super Power

Sure, we’ve known that Ketayl’s a Mage with more power and potential than she realizes. But that’s really not what makes her such an effective leader and agent—we’ve seen this since the beginning, but it’s been emphasized in the last two books in particular.

Ketayl has this ability to take a rival, critic or outright enemy and turn them into an ally, if not a friend. Divine and Conquer surrounds her with plenty of antagonists—she doesn’t turn them all around, by any means. She doesn’t even try. But there’s one person she does turn around, without really intending to.

I really appreciate this ability of hers, and am glad Jackson is letting it shine—sure, she’s not the only character in the genre with the ability, but she goes about it in a different way than others do. She reminds me of Kitty Norville more than anyone else in that. Anyone that reminds me of Kitty is a winner.

The Order of the Paladins of the Holy Son

So here’s the problem I had with The Order—and therefore the book. It’s a religious Order, sure. But there’s no religion to it. There’s a hierarchy, there are adherents, underlings, traditions—even a couple of group prejudices. But that’s it—it’s the shell of a religion with nothing at the core.

And if it was the case that the Order had drifted from their former orthodoxy and become an apostatized or agnostic group, that’d be one thing—people’d be talking about that. Silver’s friend is one of the few that holds on to the old ways—but we’re talking about training, loyalty, traditions, not beliefs.

Instead, for whatever reason, Jackson didn’t allude to their departure from the faith while hanging onto the form, she didn’t even point to a time when the Order stood for something. I get the impression (and I can’t point to specifics to support this, but I still walk away with the impression) that Jackson has some ideas about what the Order used to believe (maybe still believes)—but I’ve got no idea what it is.

A religious order without a dogma is hard to get invested in—you can’t fault them, you can’t hope they reform for the characters you like to be okay—it’s just a soulless bureaucracy making things difficult for those characters. And hey, that’s a daunting organization to take on, sure.

But boy howdy, do they want Silver back in the fold and are pulling out quite a few stops to achieve that. Also, I’m not sure I get why that is, I mean, I like the guy, but their interest seems a bit extreme. But I can roll with it for the sake of the story.

So, what did I think about Divine and Conquer?

This is the book I’ve been waiting for—possibly for too long, but whatever—we needed the development and background for Silver and some overdue conversations were had. Plus, Ketayl’s achievements with the Arcana Consortium were great to see (at some point, she’s going to start accepting what everyone’s saying about her magic abilities, right?)

I’m not sure I could buy how long the negotiations around Silver’s marriage took—the sheer number and length of meetings seemed out of proportion. Maybe Jackson could’ve given us some other things for them to have been discussing. But they gave us what the novel needed—a way to get him off-screen so Ketayl could get to know Marzena and Amanda better, interact with others of the Order, and generally get into trouble.

This is one of my favorites in the series—because of the character arcs and development. Plot-wise, I think it stumbled a bit, but by the time I get my hands on Book 7, I won’t remember that, I’ll remember the character stuff.

I’m enjoying this series still and am looking forward to the next one. Apparently it’ll be in June 2023, which gives you all plenty of time to read the series.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Mortgaged Mortality by J.C. Jackson: New Territory (in multiple senses) for our Heroes

By HCNewton

On July 25, 2022

In Fiction, Terra Chronicles, Urban Fantasy

Mortgaged Mortality

by J.C. Jackson

DETAILS:
Series: Terra Chronicles, #5
Publisher: Shadow Phoenix Publishing
Publication Date: June 20, 2020
Format: Paperback
Length: 236
Read Date: July 20, 2022

What’s Mortgaged Mortality About?

The TIO is called to the Human Territory to look into a financial crime of all things—the theory is that people in dire financial straits are being killed so that their debts are canceled, then being brought back by a necromancer. Beyond the significant losses the major bank that called in the TIO is suffering (and possibly other financial institutions who don’t realize it’s going on are losing, too), there are several other legal and ethical repercussions to this.

But primarily, there’s likely an active necromancer and that’s what Ketayl and Silver are supposed to be focusing on. So they’re dispatched to deal with this, and it’s not long before Ketayl’s analysis suggests that there are multiple actors involved—perhaps that they’re dealing with two separate criminal rings committing similar swindles.

Just what on Terra is going on here?

This is the first time Ketayl’s been back in the field since Conjured Defense, and she’s not quite back in fighting shape—and her partnership with Silver is in the worst state it’s ever been. Can she repair that (assuming she wants to) and put a stop to the fraud—and hopefully a necromancer?

Silver

I found myself thinking about Silver more than usual after I finished this book. And not just because I’m getting sick and tired of him inching up to telling Ketayl how he feels before he retreats again.

One of the reasons these two were teamed up was the way their magic worked together—they could tackle adversaries like this necromancer together. But it really seems like they’ve got into this pattern of Ketayl pushing herself to the limit, and Silver trying to get her to relax—then she lets loose and goes past the limit–only to have him patch her up magically and emotionally.

And honestly, it works—I’m really enjoying watching Ketayl finding hew levels of her power, new things to do with it, and so on. So this isn’t me griping, it’s just I don’t see the justification for their partnership holding up.

Now, there’s a depth to his backstory we see a glimpse of in this book—and there’s a setup for a future book or two in there. I don’t know when we get it—hopefully soon, because I know there’s more to our Paladin than we’ve been given so far, and I’m ready to see it.

So, what did I think about Mortgaged Mortality?

I thought the crime(s) at the center of this was a pretty clever application of magic to this world—-it’s precisely the kind of thing an innovative crook with sufficient power would do. I wondered about some of the details, but that’s probably my head for finance. The hunt for the necromancer and allies was great—and one of the better investigations this team has been on.

We got the return of Lexi from Twice Cursed, which was nice to see—it’s probably my favorite installment so far in the series, so that was doubly-nice. The new agents we meet—particularly the grizzled veteran—were exactly what this book needed and I’d be happy to see either of them again.

The final confrontation against the necromancer was one of Jackson’s best—giving Ketayl the perfect mix of innovation, recklessness, and power that makes these scenes work for the series. I thought the aftermath took a little too long in the moment, but it was all worth it in the end.

Basically, this was another strong entry in this reliably entertaining series.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Conjured Defense by J.C. Jackson: A Solid Step Forward for this Series

By HCNewton

On May 16, 2022

In Fantasy, Terra Chronicles

Conjured Defense

by J.C. Jackson

DETAILS:
Series: Terra Chronicles, #4
Publisher: Shadow Phoenix Publishing
Publication Date: June 20, 2019
Format: Paperback
Length: 252 pg.
Read Date: May 12-13, 2022

What’s Conjured Defense About?

Ketayl and Silver are sent to a Naval research facility to investigate some sort of mishap. There’s a company, Spelltech, that’s trying to incorporate technology and magic into a defense system. Not just merging tech and magic (like Ketayl does in her TIO work), but it’s a merging of divine and arcane magics—just like Ketayl and Silver.

They’re the ideal team to run this investigation—assuming they can get the cooperation of the Naval Command and Spelltech. The head of Spelltech seems eager to work with them, once he has a glimmer of an idea of what Ketayl can do—just the fact that Ketayl and Silver get along and can work together puts them ahead of any pair that they have to work with.

It’s not long before Ketayl realizes that Spelltech assembled something without any real understanding of what was going on with it. She’s not so sure either, but she’s getting closer. This sets off a series of “near-misses” with cars as they move around the base—and then things get worse.

So, what did I think about Conjured Defense?

It was a solid story and it’s good to see Ketayl’s powers continue to grow. Ditto for the relationship between the two partners—although it sometimes feels more appropriate for a couple of high schoolers. But hey, they’re elves and will live a long time, maybe things take longer.

Jackson’s action scenes are improving—there are a couple of great ones here. I re-read the first major action scene twice because it was so good (that’s not a comment on the ones I didn’t reread—I was too involved in the story to stop with those)

There are a few bits of dialogue that frustrate me. Jackson obviously has a clear vision for what’s going on in her world and with ongoing arcs, but she’s not the best a communicating that. Ketayl has ongoing conversations with both her partner and her sister in which they allude to something without coming out and saying it—which is perfectly fine and normal. However, there needs to be something in or around those conversations that makes sure the reader can pick up on the allusion. Maybe I’m being dense, or maybe this is a continuation of something from a previous book that I’m forgetting (if that’s the case, it needs to be clarified in this book)—but I don’t think so. I think it’s a case of Jackson knows what the characters are talking about and doesn’t realize that readers don’t.

As usual, that took a lot longer to say than the paragraph about the action scenes—and it means less to me than everything else. I like these characters and really enjoy exploring this world with them, I’ve got two more of these sitting on the shelf and am eager to dive in. Fast action, charming characters, and a great SF/Fantasy setting—what’s not to enjoy? Recommended.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions expressed are my own.

Twice Cursed by J. C. Jackson: It’s Time to Bring Werewolves into this World

By HCNewton

On August 17, 2021

In Fantasy, Terra Chronicles

Twice Cursed

by J. C. Jackson
Series: Terra Chronicles, #3

Paperback, 241pg.
Shadow Phoenix Publishing, 2018

Read: August 5, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

Since it’s been awhile (too long) since I posted about this series, I thought it’d be a good idea to copy a bit of the introduction to this series I posted back in 2018 (slightly edited):

I had a brief conversation a couple of weeks ago with J.C. Jackson and she described the book as “Science Fantasy” and told us a little about the series. Something about fantasy characters but with modern technology, but phrased better. Not really getting what she said, I asked why not just call it Urban Fantasy, and she gave a decent answer—basically that she didn’t have enough vampires or werewolves in the books so readers told her she couldn’t. I was a chapter or two into the book when I figured out what she was saying.

In your mainstream Urban Fantasy, you have fantasy creatures—wizards, druids, werewolves, fae—popping up in our world. On the other end of the spectrum (or an other end, anyway) you have things like the Eddie LaCrosse novels or the Dragon Precinct books that have modern ideas (police squads, private investigators) used in a fantasy series. Jackson takes a different tack—it’s a typical fantasy novel in that there’s a lot of magic, elves, halflings, Dark Elves, etc. living next to humans—very standard kind of thing, but their technology matches ours (actually, it’s slightly more advanced). I loved this approach and there’s a good chance that I’d have had nice things to say about the book just because of this idea.

What’s Twice Cursed About?

Ketayl and her Paladin partner, Silver, are sent off to do fieldwork, bringing along another lab tech to look into a rash of werewolf deaths in the territory of the Alpha Prime’s pack (he’s sort of like the Marrock of this world). The local Terran Intelligence Organization office is primarily full of recent graduates from the Academy, most still learning the ropes—they’re not up for dealing with both the investigation and dealing with the Alpha. So, instead, they throw Ketayl into leading her first team because of her investigative abilities and to get her to grow into leadership.

She interacts better with the pack than anyone (except maybe her boss) expected—certainly better than she assumed. She and Silver quickly decide that this is another example of the rise in Necromancy that they’ve been chasing.

Through a combination of good procedure and being in the right place at the precisely right time (or wrong place/wrong time, depending on their perspective), they make great strides in the investigation—even if it essentially puts multiple lives on the line. Through it Ketayl gets a crash course in juggling personalities, abilities and unprepared-for team members.

A Gripe Resolved

Something that bugged me through a lot of the first book, and that really got on my nerves in the second book was (to cite that post) that most characters treat Ketayl “with the kind of care usually reserved for glass on the verge of shattering, they only tell her as much of the truth as they want—all the while, wanting the benefit of her intelligence, abilities, and magic. It feels condescending and manipulative. And for that to be the way those closest to her to treat her? I can’t stomach it.” There were characters throughout that didn’t treat her that way, but they were the distinct minority.

None of them were around this time—only those who saw her strength, who believed in her when she didn’t really believe in herself (which is still going on ), and those who didn’t have preconceived notions about her. Despite herself, she responded to that kind of confidence well and is able to rise to the occasion.

I do wonder what it’ll be like when they spend more time around some of those other characters—will they see the growth in her?

A Quibble Exasperated

I do have another quibble with the series—Jackson has two story arcs that she appears to be taking a “slow burn” approach to. I’m all for that, but while she’s letting the development of those arcs build deliberately—she’s telegraphed where they’re both going in a way that takes away the deliberate, careful way she’s going about it.

It’s hard to talk about that without getting into plot specifics, but hopefully, that paragraph makes sense.

Now, that’s a quibble—not a full-on gripe or criticism. It’s a thought I have every so often while reading (and when writing about it), but I shrug it off and move on with a fun read.

So, what did I think about Twice Cursed?

I really dug it. The Alpha and his crew were a lot of fun (I hope we get to see them in a book or two). Ketayl’s growth was great—both in leadership and social interaction, but she has a few places where she’s able to flex the magic muscle that she’s long kept under wraps, and…yeah—I really loved those scenes.

I’ve been kicking myself for getting behind on this series—I had this and the next book on my shelf for years untouched—and I’m so glad I got back into this world and with these characters. The mix of tech and Fantasy, and characters you can’t help but want to befriend makes for a fun time. I’ll be back for more soon.

(Over the weekend, I bought the next two books, so even after reading this, I’m more behind).

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Catch Up Quick Takes: Shattered Illusions by J. C. Jackson; The Queen Con by Meghan Scott Molin, A Plague of GIants by Kevin Hearne

By HCNewton

On September 5, 2019

In Fiction, Kevin Hearne, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Terra Chronicles

It’s been a while since I’ve done something like this, but it’s pretty overdue (and only way I’m going to catch up). I’ve started (and re-started) posts on all three of these, but for some reason, I just can’t get something I’m satisfied with, and I don’t think I’ll get to it, and I really want to say something about them (if for no other reason, I won’t let myself read the next installment until I do). So here’s a few nutshell versions of what I wanted to say.
—

Shattered Illusions

by J.C. Jackson
Series: Terra Chronicles, #2

Paperback, 252 pg.
Shadow Phoenix Publishing LLC, 2017

Read: January 31, 2019

Read the Official Synopsis here.
I love this world, this take on fantasy in a modern setting—I think I might keep reading these just to spend time in this world even if Jackson’s stories weren’t that great. Thankfully, I don’t have to make that call, because Jackson can tell a compelling story.

I don’t appreciate the way that many (most?) of the characters treat our protagonist, Katayl. They treat her with the kind of care usually reserved for glass on the verge of shattering, they only tell her as much of the truth as they want—all the while, wanting the benefit of her intelligence, abilities, and magic. It feels condescending and manipulative. And for that to be the way those closest to her to treat her? I can’t stomach it. There’s a decent contingent of characters that do treat her with respect, will tell her as much of the truth about things as they can, and allow her the agency anyone else would enjoy, and I trust those numbers will grow. I’m sure there’s a decent reason the others treat her like an unstable suitcase bomb, but it rankles me to see it.

The blossoming friendship/partnership between Katayl and Silver is great, and I’m really enjoying it. I found this look into her past quite intriguing. And the end of the book? There’s really a lot to unpack there, and I can’t wait to see what the fallout from it all.

The Queen Con

by Meghan Scott Molin
Series: The Golden Arrow Mysteries, #2

Kindle Edition, 336 pg.
47North, 2019

Read: July 11 – 12, 2019

Read the Official Synopsis here.
I was really looking forward to this follow-up to The Frame Up, and even listened to the audiobook to prep myself for the release. And while I really liked it, I did think it was a little bit of a let-down. It felt a little rushed, and not fully cooked.

There were some strange continuity problems (wondered about some continuity when listening to The Frame Up, too) that niggled the back of my mind throughout. MG’s narration felt too much like it was trying to rehash the previous book rather than allowing MG to move on a little bit. And Molin seemed to be hinting at one of the reveals of this book so hard that I thought it had to be a red herring, because she seemed more subtle than this.

Nevertheless, these books have so much charm, that I can’t help but smile while reading them. MG is one of my favorite protagonists of the last couple of years. Matteo is a great character, too and I can’t get enough of MG’s friends and/or colleagues (including the new ones). The story itself is a lot of fun, and that covers a multitude of problems.

I do think Volume 3 can—and likely will—win me back, and I did like this one, just not as much as I expected to.

A Plague of Giants

by Kevin Hearne
Series: Seven Kennings, #1

Hardcover, 624 pg.
Del Rey Books, 2017

Read: October 19 – December 30, 2017

Read the Official Synopsis here.
There’s just so much about this book that I loved, and so little that I had issues with, I couldn’t piece together anything coherent. I think the idea of the kennings is brilliant (yes, common to other fantasy series, but Hearne’s approach sells it). Most of the point-of-view characters are so well-drawn and developed that I can’t find fault with any of them.

This has all the strengths of The Iron Druid Chronicles (and maybe a couple of the minor weaknesses), which is enough to get me solidly on board for the series, but there’s more to it than just that.

The best thing, the most inspired idea is the way the bard tells the story, how we get each different POV. It’s a brilliant stroke.

The whole book is great—the magic system, the characters, the stakes, the big mystery about the source of invading giants, and the very human responses to the invasion. A great start to a fantasy trilogy that’s surely going to be one of my favorite trilogies. I just wish I could be a bit more articulate about it.

It does move maddeningly slow. But it has to—you can’t establish this fantastic world at a fast pace. You can’t take the time for all the tiny character moments that are just pure gold if you’re driving towards big action moments. But when the pace does pick up occasionally, you get a hint at how dynamic parts of book 2 and most of book 3 are going to have to be.

Twisted Magics by J.C. Jackson: A Great Spin on Contemporary Fantasy Kicks Off a Promising Series

By HCNewton

On September 6, 2018

In 2018 First Reads Challenge, 2018 Indie-Fever Challenge, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Terra Chronicles, While I Was Reading 2018 Challenge

Twisted Magics

by J.C. Jackson
Series: Terra Chronicles, #1

Paperback, 220 pg.
Shadow Phoenix Publishing LLC, 2016

Read: August 30 – 31, 2018

I had a brief conversation a couple of weeks ago with J.C. Jackson and she described the book as “Science Fantasy” and told us a little about the series. Something about fantasy characters but with modern technology, but phrased better. Not really getting what she said, I asked why not just call it Urban Fantasy, and she gave a decent answer — basically that she didn’t have enough vampires or werewolves in the books so readers told her she couldn’t. I was a chapter or two in to the book when I figured out what she was saying.

In your mainstream Urban Fantasy, you have fantasy creatures — wizards, druids, werewolves, fae — popping up in our world. On the other end of the spectrum (or an other end, anyway) you have things like the Eddie LaCrosse novels or the Dragon Precinct books that have modern ideas (police squads, private investigators) used in a fantasy series. Jackson takes a different tack — it’s a typical fantasy novel in that there’s a lot of magic, elves, halflings, Dark Elves, living next to humans — very standard kind of thing, but their technology matches ours (actually, it’s slightly more advanced). I loved this approach and there’s a good chance that I’d have had nice things to say about the book just because of this idea.

I do have more reasons to say nice things, though.

Ketayl is an Elven mage who works as a a CSI-like lab tech for the Terran Intelligence Organization (a FBI-like organization). Her strength is in finding ways to use devices to do forensic investigation of magical elements of particular crimes. She’s not the most socially adept of people, clearly more secure in her lab and with clearly drawn rules governing her interaction with others.

Then there’s an explosion in the Elven Territories, seemingly magical in origin — definitely devastating. The TIO director sends Ketayl, along with the rural tracker, Retanei; and Artemis, Retanei’s wolf companion to investigate. Along with the local TIO team — which does their best to bring these agents into their community — they dive into finding those responsible. It’s a kind of magic that doesn’t play by the rules that Ketayl is used to, and powerful enough to make her nervous.

While they look for what could have caused this destruction, we learn more about the world, the magic system and Ketayl. I still have a few questions about all of those and I think some of them should’ve been addressed in the first book — but I never felt lost in this world as I waited for the details to be given. This is a pretty decent thriller when you strip away the fantastic elements, or a pretty decent fantasy tale if you take out the criminal investigation elements. Keep them combined and the whole thing is stronger.

Eventually, the TIO hires a consultant from the Paladins — their kind of music is very different from Ketayl’s. The Paladins are also very prejudiced toward other magic users, and other species. Thankfully, the Paladin sent to help the team (Silver) is pretty open-minded and doesn’t get driven right into a religious conflict (which doesn’t preclude other kinds of conflict). Silver joining the team — primarily partnering with Ketayl — brings her out of her shell a bit.

Ketayl frequently reminded me of Tilly Bradshaw, the analyst from M. W. Craven’s The Puppet Show (one of those books that I somehow haven’t had time to blog about, but you should read, if only for the Ketayl-like character). She’s a complex character that I look forward to learning more about. The rest of the characters — with Silver pretty much being the exception — aren’t as developed as you might like, but you get enough of to satisfy just about every itch you might have.

There were a few too many typos for me, and the misspellings/unfortunate slips like homonym confusion. It wasn’t horrible, but it was bad enough to stick with me.

The novel does a good job of introducing us to the characters and world while telling a compelling story. Jackson’s particular spin on merging fantasy and a 10-minutes-into-the-future world is refreshingly original. I liked the characters, the world and everything — I’ve already gone out and purchased the sequel and am trying to find time on the schedule to get it read.

—–

3.5 Stars

✔ Read a book written by an author from the state where you grew up.