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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I decided to embark on the originally self-published Vengeance Trilogy due to Devin Madson’s latest The Reborn Empire trilogy from Orbit. The fantastic cover art of We Ride the Storm drew me in as well as the rave reviews. The other reason is I never like starting in the middle of a world, even if both trilogies can be read independently without needing the other. The thing is, I’m a sucker for easter eggs in books, and the fact that there are some in the latter trilogy if you read the first sealed the deal for me. Starting with the solid novella, In Shadows We Fall, you see an empire on the cusp of being fractured. The Blood of Whisperers takes place about twenty years after those events, and you see how the fractured empire has affected many lives. I highly recommend reading that novella before you start this story.
Initially, I was a little confused as to who was who, partially because the characters themselves are just as confused. There are three points of view, all told in first person, and it is interesting to see how entwined their lives are. The reader comes to obtain knowledge the other characters don’t have, which leads to anticipating what will happen when the truth comes out. In this world, it seems that no one can truly trust anyone else in any way. Least of all, no one should trust Malice, one of nine Vices that all have been given names that appear to match their abilities and temperament. Of the three POV’s we are given, Hana is my least favorite. I found her story more interesting in the beginning, but then found her frustratingly boring and annoying in the second half. Darius and Endymion were always interesting due to their special ability called Empathy.
Empathy and the overall magic system the Vices use is very intriguing and I wish to know more. At least in this first novel, it is more of a soft magic system with no clear rules or limitations set out. On my wish list for the rest of the series, would be discovering more of the different abilities each Vice has and what makes them so special as to be able to use it. It appears hereditary which then begs the question, where did it come from? The Blood of Whisperers is a short novel so there aren’t many answers by the end, only more questions.
The aforementioned Vices also fascinate me, and I hope to learn more about them. The reader gets minor interactions and glimpses of their powers through each of the main characters with not much being explained up front. They work as a wonderful plot device too as you never know whose side they, or Malice, are on. The reader is often just as confused as the people in the world. One thing though, Malice talking like this is annoying, yes? Every single sentence, yes?
One word of warning, there are a couple of scenes of near rape that I found very uncomfortable and something I could have done without. This book is gritty with a good deal of graphic violence and some strong swearing. I realize, though, that it’s part of the sub-genre of grimdark. I don’t have much experience with it, but I could’ve done without a few of those scenes. The action scenes are few and far between, and, when they are occur, they are quick and brutal, if not slightly confusing. There’s also no real concrete resolution to the book, which makes sense since it is a trilogy.
The Blood of Whisperers is a solid debut novel that is well worth reading. It’s not one of those poorly written self-published novels with horrible prose and a confusing plot. No, everything goes together quite well, and the pace is strong with progress being made in every chapter. You can tell it’s a first novel for an author, but it’s a well written one. After finishing the series as a whole, I can say that the first book ended up being the best of the series. Looking back, I realized I enjoyed the story and characters more, despite Hana still being annoying. She's least annoying in The Blood of Whisperers though, as are the other characters.
The Vengeance Trilogy
The Blood of Whisperers - 7.5/10
The Gods of Vice - 6.5/10
The Grave at Storm's End - 7/10
Initially, I was a little confused as to who was who, partially because the characters themselves are just as confused. There are three points of view, all told in first person, and it is interesting to see how entwined their lives are. The reader comes to obtain knowledge the other characters don’t have, which leads to anticipating what will happen when the truth comes out. In this world, it seems that no one can truly trust anyone else in any way. Least of all, no one should trust Malice, one of nine Vices that all have been given names that appear to match their abilities and temperament. Of the three POV’s we are given, Hana is my least favorite. I found her story more interesting in the beginning, but then found her frustratingly boring and annoying in the second half. Darius and Endymion were always interesting due to their special ability called Empathy.
Empathy and the overall magic system the Vices use is very intriguing and I wish to know more. At least in this first novel, it is more of a soft magic system with no clear rules or limitations set out. On my wish list for the rest of the series, would be discovering more of the different abilities each Vice has and what makes them so special as to be able to use it. It appears hereditary which then begs the question, where did it come from? The Blood of Whisperers is a short novel so there aren’t many answers by the end, only more questions.
The aforementioned Vices also fascinate me, and I hope to learn more about them. The reader gets minor interactions and glimpses of their powers through each of the main characters with not much being explained up front. They work as a wonderful plot device too as you never know whose side they, or Malice, are on. The reader is often just as confused as the people in the world. One thing though, Malice talking like this is annoying, yes? Every single sentence, yes?
One word of warning, there are a couple of scenes of near rape that I found very uncomfortable and something I could have done without. This book is gritty with a good deal of graphic violence and some strong swearing. I realize, though, that it’s part of the sub-genre of grimdark. I don’t have much experience with it, but I could’ve done without a few of those scenes. The action scenes are few and far between, and, when they are occur, they are quick and brutal, if not slightly confusing. There’s also no real concrete resolution to the book, which makes sense since it is a trilogy.
The Blood of Whisperers is a solid debut novel that is well worth reading. It’s not one of those poorly written self-published novels with horrible prose and a confusing plot. No, everything goes together quite well, and the pace is strong with progress being made in every chapter. You can tell it’s a first novel for an author, but it’s a well written one. After finishing the series as a whole, I can say that the first book ended up being the best of the series. Looking back, I realized I enjoyed the story and characters more, despite Hana still being annoying. She's least annoying in The Blood of Whisperers though, as are the other characters.
The Vengeance Trilogy
The Blood of Whisperers - 7.5/10
The Gods of Vice - 6.5/10
The Grave at Storm's End - 7/10
After reading We Ride The Storm and finding it be a fantastic story in a fascinating world, I of course had to find more from Devin Madson. So I then read the short story, which was a prequel. Only to finally get this trilogy which is a prequel to Storm but a sequel to the short story.
In short, I didn’t follow the chronology even the tiniest bit.
Blood of Whisperers is another excellent book, solely set in the Kisian Empire and the different factions supporting or opposing the current emperor, who himself is an usurper.
Multiple POVs, really well done.
I’ll be continuing right onto book two and three and eventually reread We Ride The Storm and finally also Madson’s latest addition to her world We Lie With Death.
In short, I didn’t follow the chronology even the tiniest bit.
Blood of Whisperers is another excellent book, solely set in the Kisian Empire and the different factions supporting or opposing the current emperor, who himself is an usurper.
Multiple POVs, really well done.
I’ll be continuing right onto book two and three and eventually reread We Ride The Storm and finally also Madson’s latest addition to her world We Lie With Death.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Should a book review be just about the text between the covers?
Blood of Whisperers is the debut novel from Victorian author Devin Madson. It’s the first in a trilogy of novels set in the pseudo-Japanese fantasy world of The Imperial Expanse of Kisia. What drew me to this particular novel is the way in which the author sought to bring us this tale.
The Blood of Whisperers and the following books, The Gods of Vice( due December 2013) and The Grave at Storm’s End are already written and edited. I hold the paperback of book one in my hand because Madson chose to fund the book’s production through a Pozible campaign- a nail biting experience if the author’s notes on it are anything to go by.
It’s a bold step putting yourself out there as a relative unknown, hoping that people will support you on an example of your writing. In this instance it paid off, raising $8000 dollars for three books to be produced to a professional standard(art, editing,distribution etc).
I hold a book in my hand that is indistinguishable from many commercially(ie traditional publisher) produced books that grace my shelves. It bears distinctive artwork by artist Viktor Fetsch, whose work also graces the cover of Brandon Sanderson’s German translation of The Emperor's Soul and Sarah J Maas’, Throne of Glass. The cover design by Isabelle Young you can judge for yourself, but I think it compliments Fetsch’s artwork.
All in all, it’s a quality container for the tale within.
A man of common blood sits on the throne. At his command the last emperor was executed, but now the empire is on the brink of war.
Vengeance is coming.
Endymion is an Empath. He was born with the ability to feel another’s emotions and reach inside their hearts for their deepest secrets. Often despised he lives a nomadic existence, but when he finds himself imprisoned for sorcery and facing death, it is his past that will condemn him. Born Prince Takehiko Otako, the only surviving son of the True Emperor, Endymion is already caught in the brewing storm. Fast losing control of his Empathy he seeks revenge against the man who betrayed him, but for Endymion the truth will come too late.
The Blood of Whisperers is a tale feudal infighting and political maneuvering with some interesting psionic magic thrown in for good measure. Endymion is pushed forward as the main protagonist of this tale, but the structure that Madson has chosen to frame the story with really gives us three from different factions. The tale is told in the first person, giving the reader a certain immediacy, a closeness with the the character who is describing events. We are introduced to Endymion first, then Lord Darius Laroth, minister of the Left and finally Captain Regent, the right hand man to the rebel, Monarch.
Madson gets around the confusion generally caused by “head hopping” by prefacing each chapter with an insignia that signifies that character. It’s an interesting choice, in line, I think with the setting. How you find the setting will I think depend on your own preferences. This is very much a tale focussed on the story. There’s a broad sketch of the psuedo-Japanese setting, enough to give you a general idea, to evoke a flavoured background for the characters. If you are looking for an in depth interrogation of culture I’d suggest you look elsewhere. In essence the story could be set in a feudal European setting and not suffer for it. This is not a criticism mind you, merely a sign post that the story carries more of the weight in this novel.
Madson’s writing is solid, the tale is well paced and the plot suitably intricate enough to carry most reader’s interest to the end. There were a couple of scenes that I thought were almost cliché, in the sense that I realised (due to prior exposure) ahead of time that the writer was attempting emotional manipulation. That being said, those are really minor quibbles from a reviewer that has a lifetime of fantasy reading under his belt.
As a debut novel it’s better than some of the traditional “best sellers” I have read over the last 12 months. Madson tells a well paced entertaining tale. I am curious whether or not she had attempted to go the traditional publishing route because I think it would have done well with fans of Trudi Canavan, and Kylie Chan - I think they share similar target audiences.
If you are a fan of political fantasy. if you like a Game of Thrones but don’t like the brutality or the potential of every character ending up dead then, I recommend The Blood of Whisperers. It’s a comfortable read – an enjoyable and intriguing story that I would like to follow up in The Gods of Vice.
This review copy was provided by the publisher.
Blood of Whisperers is the debut novel from Victorian author Devin Madson. It’s the first in a trilogy of novels set in the pseudo-Japanese fantasy world of The Imperial Expanse of Kisia. What drew me to this particular novel is the way in which the author sought to bring us this tale.
The Blood of Whisperers and the following books, The Gods of Vice( due December 2013) and The Grave at Storm’s End are already written and edited. I hold the paperback of book one in my hand because Madson chose to fund the book’s production through a Pozible campaign- a nail biting experience if the author’s notes on it are anything to go by.
It’s a bold step putting yourself out there as a relative unknown, hoping that people will support you on an example of your writing. In this instance it paid off, raising $8000 dollars for three books to be produced to a professional standard(art, editing,distribution etc).
I hold a book in my hand that is indistinguishable from many commercially(ie traditional publisher) produced books that grace my shelves. It bears distinctive artwork by artist Viktor Fetsch, whose work also graces the cover of Brandon Sanderson’s German translation of The Emperor's Soul and Sarah J Maas’, Throne of Glass. The cover design by Isabelle Young you can judge for yourself, but I think it compliments Fetsch’s artwork.
All in all, it’s a quality container for the tale within.
A man of common blood sits on the throne. At his command the last emperor was executed, but now the empire is on the brink of war.
Vengeance is coming.
Endymion is an Empath. He was born with the ability to feel another’s emotions and reach inside their hearts for their deepest secrets. Often despised he lives a nomadic existence, but when he finds himself imprisoned for sorcery and facing death, it is his past that will condemn him. Born Prince Takehiko Otako, the only surviving son of the True Emperor, Endymion is already caught in the brewing storm. Fast losing control of his Empathy he seeks revenge against the man who betrayed him, but for Endymion the truth will come too late.
The Blood of Whisperers is a tale feudal infighting and political maneuvering with some interesting psionic magic thrown in for good measure. Endymion is pushed forward as the main protagonist of this tale, but the structure that Madson has chosen to frame the story with really gives us three from different factions. The tale is told in the first person, giving the reader a certain immediacy, a closeness with the the character who is describing events. We are introduced to Endymion first, then Lord Darius Laroth, minister of the Left and finally Captain Regent, the right hand man to the rebel, Monarch.
Madson gets around the confusion generally caused by “head hopping” by prefacing each chapter with an insignia that signifies that character. It’s an interesting choice, in line, I think with the setting. How you find the setting will I think depend on your own preferences. This is very much a tale focussed on the story. There’s a broad sketch of the psuedo-Japanese setting, enough to give you a general idea, to evoke a flavoured background for the characters. If you are looking for an in depth interrogation of culture I’d suggest you look elsewhere. In essence the story could be set in a feudal European setting and not suffer for it. This is not a criticism mind you, merely a sign post that the story carries more of the weight in this novel.
Madson’s writing is solid, the tale is well paced and the plot suitably intricate enough to carry most reader’s interest to the end. There were a couple of scenes that I thought were almost cliché, in the sense that I realised (due to prior exposure) ahead of time that the writer was attempting emotional manipulation. That being said, those are really minor quibbles from a reviewer that has a lifetime of fantasy reading under his belt.
As a debut novel it’s better than some of the traditional “best sellers” I have read over the last 12 months. Madson tells a well paced entertaining tale. I am curious whether or not she had attempted to go the traditional publishing route because I think it would have done well with fans of Trudi Canavan, and Kylie Chan - I think they share similar target audiences.
If you are a fan of political fantasy. if you like a Game of Thrones but don’t like the brutality or the potential of every character ending up dead then, I recommend The Blood of Whisperers. It’s a comfortable read – an enjoyable and intriguing story that I would like to follow up in The Gods of Vice.
This review copy was provided by the publisher.
If I’m comparing this to some of my other 4 ⭐️ reads then it’s probably closer to 3-3.5 ⭐️; however, this book was fast paced and easy to fall into, pulling me out of the reading slump I was about to tumble into and thus earning its mildly inflated rating.
Sometimes you just need to find and finish a book in two days, you know?
Sometimes you just need to find and finish a book in two days, you know?
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Blood of Whisperers
Here we are at the end of another book, and it is time for the review. I can say when I started this book I was a bit bored, and it took me a few chapters to be truly pulled in. What kept me going was the authors ability to pull you into a scene. Sights, sounds, colors and smells. You feel like you’re in the novel. So, I kept reading.
If you’ve read any of my past reviews you’ll know that my opinion on writing in different perspectives is pretty hardcore. If you’re going to do it, you’d better do it right and not mess it up. If you mess it up, I’m going to let you know. So when I noticed the chapter titles were different characters I was worried.
With all that said...
What Devin Madison has done with this novel, deserves a standing ovation! The different perspectives are tangible. One chapter with Endymion, the next Darius, then Hana, flawlessly accomplished!
You’re drawn in to the characters, even in the moments you’re screaming at them to stop being a little bitch about everything and just “man up.”
I liked these characters because they made me laugh, scream, groan, want to smack them,and all while the visualizations were so fierce at times it made me gag. It felt as though you’re there trying to fight along side each of them in whatever quest they are on.
The other characters in the book, some you love some you hate. You applaud at some deaths and wince at others. The characters you think you hate you love and the ones you love you hate. It’s fabulous!
I feel the need to go back into some of my other reviews and give them less stars because I want this novel to have more than the others!
I can confidently state that I will be reading this novel again, as well as picking up the series. I will be recommending it to others as the five star novel that it is.
Fabulously done Devin Madison! Well written, grammar was spot on! I’d like to high five your editor and give you a pat on the back. Well Done!
Here we are at the end of another book, and it is time for the review. I can say when I started this book I was a bit bored, and it took me a few chapters to be truly pulled in. What kept me going was the authors ability to pull you into a scene. Sights, sounds, colors and smells. You feel like you’re in the novel. So, I kept reading.
If you’ve read any of my past reviews you’ll know that my opinion on writing in different perspectives is pretty hardcore. If you’re going to do it, you’d better do it right and not mess it up. If you mess it up, I’m going to let you know. So when I noticed the chapter titles were different characters I was worried.
With all that said...
What Devin Madison has done with this novel, deserves a standing ovation! The different perspectives are tangible. One chapter with Endymion, the next Darius, then Hana, flawlessly accomplished!
You’re drawn in to the characters, even in the moments you’re screaming at them to stop being a little bitch about everything and just “man up.”
I liked these characters because they made me laugh, scream, groan, want to smack them,and all while the visualizations were so fierce at times it made me gag. It felt as though you’re there trying to fight along side each of them in whatever quest they are on.
The other characters in the book, some you love some you hate. You applaud at some deaths and wince at others. The characters you think you hate you love and the ones you love you hate. It’s fabulous!
I feel the need to go back into some of my other reviews and give them less stars because I want this novel to have more than the others!
I can confidently state that I will be reading this novel again, as well as picking up the series. I will be recommending it to others as the five star novel that it is.
Fabulously done Devin Madison! Well written, grammar was spot on! I’d like to high five your editor and give you a pat on the back. Well Done!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes