Category Archives: fantasy

book reviews, fantasy, novel

Book Review: The Bone Wall by D. Wallace Peach (5 Stars)

Leave a comment

Overview

This book review is about The Bone Wall by D. Wallace Peach, a novel very different from others I’ve read by Ms Wallace Peach. It’s a dystopian, post-apocalyptic story set in the distant future after a human-made disaster has overtaken the world. Ms Wallace Peach doesn’t spell out exactly what the disaster was, instead leaving the reader to imagine the cause, which adds to the mystery and tension.

Blurb

Blue light ripples and crackles as the shield walls fracture. The remnants of a doomed civilization stand vigil outside, intent on plunder and slaves, desirous of untainted blood to strengthen their broken lives. With the poisons came deformities and powers, enhanced senses, and the ability to manipulate waves of energy—lightbenders and fire-wielders.

For those who thrived for generations within the walls, the broken world looms, strange and deadly, slowly dying. While the righteous pray for salvation, Rimma prepares for battle, fueled by rage and blinded by vengeance. Her twin, Angel, bound to her by unbreakable magic, seeks light in the darkness, hope in the future, and love in a broken world.

The Bone Wall foretells of a dystopic world where a poisoned planet no longer sustains its inhabitants. Who survives when there isn’t enough for all? Who decides?

Three hundred years in a post-apocalyptic future, precisely controlled communities, with forgotten histories, thrive beneath protective energy shields … until those shields begin to fail. What happens when the facades crumble and the past’s dark truth is unearthed?

Twins Rimma and Angel share this tale of a life unraveling and mending. They chose opposing paths when thrust into a strange and perilous world. The simplistic lines dividing good and evil blur, and beg the question: Can one survive without the other? What is the secret of their lives that even they can’t comprehend?

Award-winning author D. Wallace Peach combines elements of fantasy and science fiction, merging them with rich characters and desperate action. If grimdark tales of spiraling destruction and redemption crowd your bookshelf, this fantasy-science fiction adventure desires a place among them.

The Bone Wall contains scenes that some readers might find triggering.

Story

Rimma and Angel are identical twins living in a place they call Heaven, one of the strictly controlled communities set up by the ancestors who broke the world. They are among those considered saved.

Their world exists inside a hemisphere of protective energy created by the survivors. The people of Heaven believe they are God’s chosen because they were righteous and obedient when the world was broken.

Life inside Heaven is governed by strict religious rules. Women must wear skirts long enough to cover their ankles. Men and women are separated, although marriage is allowed. Sex is permitted only for procreation.

Despite the rigid rules, everything needed for physical comfort in Heaven is provided. The weather is always pleasant, crops grow reliably, and there is no hunger or obvious hardship.

Outside the shield, the world is very different. People still live there, but they’re wild, forced to scrape a living from a largely barren land. The people of Heaven call them Biters because they have a reputation—rightly or wrongly—for consuming human flesh. Many are deformed to varying degrees, and some possess strange magical abilities.

When the protective barrier fails, Rimma and Angel are captured by those outside. It then becomes clear that most people can only see one of the twins when they are together, with the exception of a few individuals who have magic.

There is a place called The Fortress, where people are trying to rebuild the world. To achieve their idea of perfection, they allow no deformities. Deformed children are killed, or their parents are expelled. Many of these outcasts make their way to another settlement called The Colony, where people try to live a more civilised life and accept everyone, with or without deformities.

Characters

There are many characters in this book, so I’ve picked out only a few of the ones who stood out to me in this 5-star book review of The Bone Wall by D. Wallace Peach.

Rimma is a strong personality and something of a rebel. She persuades her sister to go outside the protective sphere—something strictly forbidden. She feels deeply responsible for her twin and swears to protect her. Over the course of the book, Rimma’s more rebellious and violent side develops, largely because of how she is treated after she’s captured by the Biters.

Angel, on the other hand, is a gentler soul. She’s the one who isn’t seen when they are together. Although grateful for Rimma’s protection, she feels guilty about the risks her sister takes. Angel is willing to forgive where Rimma seeks vengeance, which creates a powerful emotional contrast between them.

Mag is a Biter with strong magic and the rare ability to see both girls. She wants to understand why only one of the twins can be seen at a time. She tells them they don’t have magic themselves, yet Rimma can burn things—and even people—with something very like magical power.

Greeb is also a Biter, and a thoroughly unpleasant one. He lusts after Rimma (he can’t see Angel at all). It’s only because Mag claims Rimma as hers that he restrains himself from raping her.

Priest appears later in the story. He has a withered arm and lives in The Colony. He is kind and compassionate, and he despises the cruelty and ruthless rules of The Fortress. I liked him a lot.

Writing

Ms Wallace Peach’s wonderful writing draws you straight into this dark fantasy world. Her descriptions make it easy to imagine the devastated landscape and the rigid life inside Heaven, and to feel with her characters as they struggle, suffer, and grow. Although this is a grim and often dark story, the prose is beautiful and immersive, which is one reason this is a 5-star book review from me.

I found no typos or grammatical errors, which made reading The Bone Wall by D. Wallace Peach smooth and enjoyable from start to finish.

I give this book 5*.

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable—not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

I really enjoy Ms Wallace Peach’s writing. Have you read any of her books? Do you enjoy her writing?

book reviews, fantasy, interview, nature, novel, plants

Podcast Episode: Mystery, Poetry, And Fantasy

Leave a comment

Pip: Dragons Rule OK — where you can find a CIA spy hiding among monks, a murder at an antique market, and a recipe for sloe gin, sometimes in the same week.

Mara: V.M.Sang covers a lot of ground on this site — fiction reviews across spy thrillers and cozy mysteries, poetry, a Regency novel, fantasy worldbuilding, and a detour into British wildflowers.

Pip: Let's start with the fiction reviews, where the stakes range from international espionage to a dead tennis coach.

Spy Thrillers and Cozy Mysteries

Mara: Two recent reviews land at opposite ends of the crime spectrum — one a high-tension spy thriller, the other a small-town Australian whodunit — and both ask what it costs a person to be seen.

Pip: The thriller is Alone by Anna Michelle Page, and the review pulls no punches on what makes London compelling: "She is a hard woman, made so by her difficult past. She is dangerous, clever and a killer for the CIA."

Mara: That damage is the engine of the whole book. London expects to die on every mission, and the Commander's patient effort to reach her — described as winning the trust of a frightened deer — is what gives the thriller its emotional weight alongside the action. It earns a five-star rating.

Pip: The other review covers Murder in Myrtle Bay by Isabel Blackthorn — cosier territory, a converted factory, a dead tennis coach, and an elderly neighbour who suspects the killer based entirely on her own prejudices. Four stars, and a promise to read the rest of the series.

Mara: From crime scenes to something quieter — poetry that sits with mortality and doesn't flinch.

When Poems Do the Work Prose Can't

Mara: The review of Shadows and Birdsong by Kevin Morris makes a case that poetry about death doesn't have to be morbid — that it can be generous and strange at the same time.

Pip: The collection grew partly from Morris's hospital stay after a brain abscess, and the poems in memory of a lost friend carry that weight. Here is the closing stanza of "Your Shadow," quoted in full: "But other men / May see my shadow / Walking beside them / And know me / And their own mortality."

Mara: What that gets the reader is a poem that turns private grief outward — the dead friend becomes a way of seeing your own end, and somehow that feels like a gift rather than a warning. The review gives it five stars and recommends it even to readers who don't normally read poetry.

Pip: The rhyme schemes are described as unusual, which is doing a lot of heavy lifting as a compliment — but having read that stanza, it lands.

Mara: The second review in this segment covers Isabel by Marina Montrose, a Regency novel that gets three stars. The writing is technically clean, but the review finds the central tension too easily resolved — Francis sheds his mistress without much struggle, and Isabel's arc closely mirrors the protagonist from Montrose's first book. Pleasant, the review says, but not surprising.

Pip: Two very different books, then — one that earns its feeling, one that stays comfortable. From literary territory to somewhere with actual dragons.

Archmages, Prophecies, and Lost Spells

Pip: The fantasy segment pulls back the curtain on the Wolves of Vimar world through an in-character interview — and the history it reveals is darker than the format suggests.

Mara: Archmage Yssalithisandra — Yssa, please — explains the Forbidding: "All books of magic were burned and the mage towers were, for the most part destroyed. All people who could do any magic were put to death too."

Pip: So the mages of the present are essentially archaeologists, rebuilding from nothing after a centuries-long erasure. That reframes what magic means in this world entirely.

Mara: A removed chapter from The Wolf Pack puts flesh on that history — Carthinal and his fellow apprentices discover an ancient spell-book and a loose prophecy that may or may not be centuries old. The worldbuilding carries through consistently between the two posts. There is also a brief pointer to a review of Echo Volume 1 by Kent Wayne, linked for readers who want more fantasy reading.

Pip: From lost spells to something you can actually find in a hedgerow in March.

The Blackthorn in Full Bloom

Mara: The British Wild Flowers series returns with the blackthorn — one of the earliest trees to bloom in spring and, as the post puts it, belonging to the genus Prunus spinosa, making it a relative of the cherry, plum, peach, nectarine, apricot, and almond.

Pip: A family reunion nobody asked for, but the sloe is the troublemaker of the group — too bitter to eat raw, but the post includes a full sloe gin recipe that takes about five months and rewards patience.

Mara: The ecological detail is solid too: dense thorny stems provide nesting cover for birds, the flowers are early nectar for insects, and the tree can live a hundred years. It has also been associated with witchcraft, with wands supposedly made from its wood.

Pip: Damaged spies, dead tennis coaches, a poem about mortality, and a hedgerow shrub with a criminal bite — it's a wide orbit.

Mara: The thread running through it is attention — to characters, to plants, to the lines of a poem that stay with you.

Pip: Next time, we find out what else is growing in the hedgerows. Or who else turns up dead at a market.

entertainment, fantasy, history, memories, novel, Poetry, stories

From Reader to Writer: My Story

7 Comments

I saw a post on Reddit where the person asked about how we each came about being a writer. I answered, but then thought it might make a post for my blog.

In the beginning, I always loved books and stories for as long as I can remember. When I was very little, long before I could read, maybe about 3 years old, I loved a story called Pink and Ponk. It’s still available on Amazon! I knew it off by heart. One say, I was holding the book and speaking the words, when a friend of my mother saw me and thought I was actually reading!

When I could read for myself, I read a book by Enid Blyton, called Shadow the Sheepdog. I loved that book and reread it many times. It inspired me to write my own story. That was the first story I remember writing. I also devoured many other of her books, as well as books like Black Beauty and Little Women.

Also, when a child I made a little fairy out of grass and made up tales for my little sister about it.

When I was at school, I loved English lessons where we were told to write a story or an essay. I enjoyed both types of writing. I also enjoyed the literature lessons where we read many classic books. It was here that I discovered the Bronte sisters. And unlike many of my compatriots, I also enjoyed poetry.

In my teens I wrote a very bad romance. I only read it to my friends, They were kind about it, but fortunately, it has now disappeared into the mists of time.

After my A levels, I went to do teacher training in Manchester. Here I studied science as a main subject and maths as one of my subsidiaries. As I liked English literature, I chose that as my other subsidiary subject. It was here, at college, that I took to writing some poetry. My first ever published work was a poem I wrote about the atomic bomb. (It was the time of the Cold War, the Aldermaston Marches and CND.) It was published in the magazine of UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology).

During this time, I discovered Lord of the Rings, I was doing a teaching practice at a primary school. A 9 year-old boy asked me if I’d ever read it, and recommended it to me, telling me I should first read The Hobbit. When I found them in the library, I was immediately turned on to fantasy.

Then my writing adventures stopped as I began work, got married and had a family. No time for writing.

My writing started with a Dungeons and Dragons scenario I wrote. I read the Dragonlance Saga and found out it was based on a D&D scenario, and I thought I’d try my hand at converting my scenario to a novel. A standalone was what it was going to be, but in the way these things happen, it’s now up to the 4th book with more to come. The story hasn’t yet finished. (Although the characters think it has!)

Then came the inspiration to write Elemental Worlds, which turned into a duo. It could have been a standalone, but it would have been rather long. I really enjoyed writing that one (or pair, I should say!)

I began writing poetry again at this time.

My daughter had a book when she was little that had a very short story or poem for every day of the year, so I conceived of writing one poem every day for a full year. I did manage to do this, and it’s now published as 2 volumes, January to June and July to December. It has a variety of poems from limericks and haiku to longer narrative poems. Some serious, some amusing.

Another thing that has been fermenting in my head for decades is a saga of a family through the ages. This started when I was in my teens and I was walking with a friend and her family in Derbyshire. We came across a ruined mansion. This picture has been in my head ever since, so I started to write a historical series, now up to Book 2.

I’ve also written 3 novellas; The Wolves of Vimar prequels.

Currently I’m writing Book 3 of the historical series, and hope to soon get on to Book 5 of my fantasy series (The Wolves of Vimar.) I am also working on some short(ish) stories inspired by fairy tales. 2 are already written and 3 is on the way.

And that’s how I became a writer!

If you are interested in any of my books, you can click on the image in the side bar. It will take you to where you can choose your favourite retailer.

Some of these books are also available as audiobooks.

book reviews, fantasy, novel

Review of Catling’s Bane by D. Wallace Peach

11 Comments

Overview.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s the first of a series, and I’m looking forward to reading the others. A wonderful story, well told.

Blurb

Catling – She’s a weapon desired by those who reign and those who rebel.

In the tiered cities of Ellegeance, the elite Influencers’ Guild holds the power to manipulate emotions. Love and fear, pleasure and pain mark the extremes of their sway. But it’s the subtle blends that hook their victims’ hearts. They hide behind oaths of loyalty and rule the world.

Until Catling discovers the gift that will be her bane. She is the shield that disrupts the influencer’s sway.

Born in the grim warrens beneath the city, Catling rues the rose birthmark encircling her eye. Yet, it grants her a unique ability, the means to remake a civilization. To the Guild, she an aberration, a threat, and they order her death. No longer a helpless child, Catling has other plans.

As chaos shakes the foundations of order and rule, will she become the realm’s savior? Or its executioner?

Welcome to a world of three moons, a sentient landscape, rivers of light, and tier cities that rise from the swamps like otherworld flowers. A planet of waterdragons, where humans are the aliens living among three-fingered natives with spotted skin. Where a half-blood converses with the fog and the goddess plans her final reckoning.

In the spirit of the fantasy tradition set by Patrick Rothfuss, Karen Miller, and Glenda Larke, follow Catling’s journey as she grows into the deadly force that shapes the future. She is the realm’s shield, an influencer, assassin, healer, mother, and avenger. And all she desires is to go home.

Story

Catling is first met as a child of around two years. She has a birthmark over her right eye, and her mother tries to scrub it off. 

She has been born into the poor, who scrape a living under a large tiered city. The richer a person is, the higher in the tiers they live, culminating in the High Ward’s place of residence.

High Ward Algar holds onto his position by means of regular hangings and the use of ‘influencers’ who can manipulate the emotions of the people. These influencers make people enjoy the hangings, and even influence those being hanged to be happy about it.

Catling discovers she can block the influencers. It has something to do with her birthmarked eye. She has the sense to keep it a secret, though. 

Her mother thinks she can improve her lot without a child, and when Catling is six, she sells her.

The man who buys the child has a large family, and is kind, so Catling enjoys her life there.

Then things begin to change. Her idyllic life is shattered.

I won’t say any more because of spoilers.

Characters

Ms Wallace Peach has given us a wealth of interesting characters. Each one is an individual, with their own quirks. 

I liked the way Ms Wallace Peach dealt with Catling growing up. She was confused, afraid, loving, all the things a young girl would feel. But her special talent made her want to remain hidden. It would be extremely dangerous for it to be discovered that she could block the influencers.

There are a lot of individuals in this book, and I’m not going to pick any out.

Writing.

I find Diana Wallace Peach’s writing beautiful. She spins a wonderful tale, and draws the reader into the story. 

The atmospheres she creates in the different parts of the book seem real. The abject poverty of the people at the beginning of the book; the richness of the higher tiers; the love Catling found on the farm; the river and its dangerous denizens; the swamp people; all are shown so we feel we are part of those communities.

The grammar is good–no, excellent, and there are few typos.

I give it 5*.

 My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

fantasy

A Post from Connie Jasperson’s blog.

Leave a comment

I thought this post well worth sharing.

Plot Armor, Objective, and Risk #writing
announcement, book release, fantasy, novel

Immortal’s Death has Arrived

9 Comments

I’ve now been informed that Immortal’s Death is available on multiple platforms. The links are below.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/b6AYN0

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G33NG9GJ

APPLE BOOKS: https://books.apple.com/us/book/immortals-death/id6755531622

BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/immortals-death-vm-sang/1148784243?ean=2940182385084

GOOGLE BOOKS: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=I_uZEQAAQBAJ

RAKUTEN KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/immortal-s-death

A royal wedding. A missing duke. An empire on the brink of war.

Carthinal and his companions gather to celebrate Princess Randa’s wedding to Prince Almoro—until news arrives that Duke Larrin of Sendolina and his wife are missing, and their lands have fallen to enemy forces. With tension rising between Grosmer and Erian, the king dispatches a dragonet to uncover the truth.

As the Wolf mercenaries set out on a dangerous rescue mission, they are blown off course and forced into battles on land and sea. Meanwhile, rebellion brews in Hambara, and young Thadora—noble by blood but raised in the shadows—must uncover Erian’s next move.

Soon, loyalties will be tested, lives lost, and Carthinal will have to face a betrayal from someone he trusted the most.

A richly detailed epic fantasy adventure, IMMORTAL’S DEATH is the fourth book in the Wolves of Vimar series by V.M. Sang.

The first 3 books are available as a Collection. It says ‘The Complete Series’, but that was before Book 4 was published.

The Wolves of Vimar Collection: The Complete Series

The Wolves of Vimar Collection: The Complete Series

by V.M. Sang  | 18 Dec 2023

Kindle Edition £3.99

Paperback £21.99

Hardcover £37 54

All three books in V.M. Sang’s ‘The Wolves Of Vimar’ series of fantasy novels, now available in one volume!

The Wolf Pack: Carthinal is ready for his rite of passage to become a mage. What he doesn’t expect is ending up on a quest to find the long-lost sword of the legendary King Sauvern. Followed by Randa, the daughter of the Duke of Hambara, and the young thief Thad, Carthinal will need all the help he can get in order to complete his quest.

The Never-Dying Man: After straying into Erian, Carthinal and his friends find preparations for war. Carthinal will need to face unpleasant truths about himself; Is his desire to further his magical career more important than his friends, and his country?

Wolf Moon: An invasion is planned to Grosmer. As the heroes make their escape, they accidentally stumble upon an old Dwarven city. Facing enemies on all sides, the five must find where their loyalties lie, But can they save their homeland from certain destruction?

Although it is better to read the whole series, I believe that each book can be read on its own. There are some things that hang over, as it’s a series, but most things are settled in each book. There is an overarching quest of finding and killing the Never-Dying Man to save the land of Grosmer.

If you choose to read any or all of the books, I would be more than grateful for an honest review, and if you would like a free review copy of Immortal’s Death (or any of the other books), please let me know in the comments.

There is no obligation to review, but I would be greatly appreciative.

announcement, book release, Cover Reveal, fantasy, novel

Interview with Sandron from The Wolves of Vimar Series.

5 Comments

I’ve been told that the release of Book 4 is imminent.

I invited Sandron, brother to Duke Larrin of Sendolina, to come and have a chat. He eagerly agreed.

Image: young man with a dragonet on his shoulder sitting in a castle room .
Image generated by Vivienne Sang using Bing AI Generator

Hi, Sandron. It’s good of you to agree to join me.

Sandron: Thank you for asking me.

Me: I understand you are the youngest of three. What was it like, growing up with two older brothers?

Sandron: Well, I’d have preferred being the second. Not the eldest, though.

Me: Why was that? The eldest would become the Duke of Sendolina. Wouldn’t you have liked that?

Sandron: *Shakes his head.* Nah! Not for me. Too much work. But it suits Larrin perfectly. He was much more serious than either Brand or myself.

Me: Brand is your other brother–the middle one of the three of you?

Sandron: Was. Brand is no longer with us. He was murdered by that fellow, Hammevaro, at a banquet. He’d come to Grosmer as Erian’s ambassador and poisoned the wine for the top table. That included all the dukes, Crown Prince Perdillon and his wife, Princess Helloria, King Gerim and Queen Carolla and Princess Dara.
Sadly, King Gerim died, along with several dukes. Princess Helloria had just gone into labour with Prince Gerim and so she and Perdillon had left, and Prince Almoro was sulking over Randa, so remained in his room.
Brand was one who succumbed, too. *Wipes his hand over his face.*

Me: Why did Hammevaro do this?

Sandron: In order to try to remove all experienced leaders to make Erian’s invasion easier. *Thumps the table.*

Me: You miss Brand.

Sandron: Yes. I miss him every day. *sighs* We had such fun, especially when Randa came to live with us. Her father sent her to share our tutor. *grins*. We called him Snagtooth. His real name was Professor Snaggletuf, as he had very uneven teeth the nickname fit.

Me: Larrin became Duke of Sendolina. What did Brand and you do?

Sandron: Brand joined the army. It suited him, and I’ve no doubt he’d have made it to the highest level. Second sons went into the army. Third sons, *pauses for a second* usually joined one of the temples and became priests. That wasn’t the life for me. I honour the gods, of course, but don’t have a preference.

Me: Why didn’t you join the army?

Sandron: No good at following orders. I’d have questioned them if I thought I had a better idea. Not a good trait in a soldier!

Me: So what did you do?

Sandron: *He broke into laughter.* I became the leader of a bandit gang. No one knew until we captured Wolf on their way back from finding Sauvern’s Sword and Randa recognised me. She then gave me the idea of becoming legit and forming a mercenary troop.

Me: You have a much bigger part to play in this current part of the story. Are you pleased about that?

Sandron: Yes… and no. It doesn’t always show me in the best light. But I was pleased to help my country.

Me: Thank you for coming to Dragons Rule OK.

Sandron: It was a pleasure. Thank you for inviting me.

I’m really looking forward to the release of this book. I enjoyed writing it immensely. It took a long time, but very shortly it’ll be released into the wild.

If you’ve not read the other books in the series, it begins with The Wolf Pack, goes on to Wolf Moon and The NeverDying Man, and now Immortal’s Death.

It all begins with a prophecy found in an ancient book.

When Kalhera descends from the mountains
And orcs once more roam the land:
When impossible beasts occur
And the Never-Dying Man is once more at hand,
Then the Sword that was lost must once more be found.
Only it can destroy the threat
And kill the Immortal Mortal
To balance out his debt.

A newly-promoted mage, a priestess in disgrace, an outcast ranger, an aristocratic young lady. These come together along with others, to try to find Sauvern’s Sword–a mythical, magic sword lost for hundreds of years.

Their quest leads them to near death, rescue by strange creatures, a visit to foreign lands, capture and escape.

Can they succeed in finding the Sword, in order to save the land of Grosmer from peril?

You can get the books by clicking on the cover in the sidebar.

If you have anyone who likes Epic Fantasy in your family, these would make excellent Christmas presents.

And here’s a review.

D. W. Peach

4.0 out of 5 stars Plot-driven high fantasy quest

Reviewed in the United States on 12 March 2024

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The first book in the Wolves of Vimar series opens with the burial of a king and his magical sword, and the sacrifice of twelve warriors whose spirits will protect his body from harm until the eight “wolves” come. This prophecy results, many years later, in a quest, as eight characters are sent by a duke to bring back the sword.

The book is divided into thirds. Part I takes its time introducing the characters who represent a variety of races including humans, elves, dwarves, and their half-elf leader, Carthinal. The group includes the duke’s entitled daughter Randa, a married horselord couple, and a young thief with a thick accent. The backstory for most of the characters comes through multiple points of view with some omnipresent narration.

Part II of the story begins the journey. The author’s attention to world-building is evident as the “wolf pack” wends their way across the land. Part III covers the journey home. The pace is moderate throughout with tangents for fun, humor, and a bit of romance. Much of the book’s journeying reminded me of a Dungeons and Dragons quest, with a variety of creatures offering challenges along the way including Yetis, dragons, nymphs, bandits, hobgoblins, and other fantasy monsters.

The characters are distinct but for me, the book was more of a plot-driven read than an emotionally-deep character-driven one. Most of the characters don’t have significant arcs apart from Randa, the entitled duke’s daughter, and for that reason, I found her the most interesting. Though the first book in the series, it also stands alone well. Recommended to YA readers of high-fantasy quests who enjoy a leisurely pace, plot-driven stories, and encounters with otherworldly creatures and monsters.

announcement, book release, fantasy, stories

Exclusive Preview of Immortal’s Death Cover and Story

10 Comments

I’ve gone through the edited manuscript and returned it, now I’ve received the layout manuscripts, which I’ve just checked.

Things are progressing nicely. I am still hoping for a before Christmas release.

Anyway, I thought you’d like a preview of the cover, so here it is.

In this book, the group known as Wolf finally get to use the Sword of Sauvern on the man threatening their country. So that’s the end of the story–or is it?

Here’s the blurb.

A royal wedding. A missing duke. An empire on the brink of war.

Carthinal and his companions gather to celebrate Princess Randa’s wedding to Prince Almoro—until news arrives that Duke Larrin of Sendolina and his wife are missing, and their lands have fallen to enemy forces. With tension rising between Grosmer and Erian, the king dispatches a dragonet to uncover the truth.

As the Wolf mercenaries set out on a dangerous rescue mission, they are blown off course and forced into battles on land and sea. Meanwhile, rebellion brews in Hambara, and young Thadora—noble by blood but raised in the shadows—must uncover Erian’s next move.

Soon, loyalties will be tested, lives lost, and Carthinal will have to face a betrayal from someone he trusted the most.

A richly detailed epic fantasy adventure, IMMORTAL’S DEATH is the fourth book in the Wolves of Vimar series by V.M. Sang.

I’ll keep you updated on what’s happening with it, and when it’ll finally be out.

It will be possible, I think, to read this without having read the others, although it would be better read as part of the series.

If anyone would like a free early copy to read (and review when it’s published) I can send a pdf.

Do you like the cover? Let me know what you think.

announcement, fantasy, novel

Just a Quick One!

9 Comments

I thought you might like to know that I’ve just signed the contract for Book 4 of The Wolves of Vimar series. It’s called Immortal’s Death. I’ll keep you informed as to the progress!

fantasy, novel

Carthinal’s Practical Exam Part 3

4 Comments

I apologise for going missing for a couple of weeks. I’ve had a few family problems, and while not entirely resolved, I’ve now got a bit of energy back.

So here is the final part of Carthinal’s Practical Test.

Carthinal has successfully negotiated the labrynth where the test takes place and faced and defeated several enemies as well as using his intelligence to solve some problems. Now he is faced with the final test.

The corridor widened and became a large circular room with four doorways leading from it. The four doors were closed, but in the centre of the room was a circular device made of metal. On the top was a second circle of metal, slightly smaller, with an arrow engraved on one side.

Carthinal looked carefully at the device and it became apparent that the piece of metal on the top rotated over the lower one. There were four lines engraved on the lower circle across the diameter and at right angles to each other. Carthinal did not touch it yet. He needed to know more before doing anything. He looked around the room, and saw that there was writing all around, just above the height of the doors. 

At that moment, his rush torch went out.

He lit another and, noticing that he was getting down to the last few, he approached the wall to the left of the door through which he had entered the room and held up the torch. There was a two-line rhyme, which read,

‘The spring wind blows cross mountains wide
‘Through land of horse where barbarians ride.’

Continuing round the room, he pieced together the following,

‘From icy mountains encased in snow
‘In winter, do the cold winds blow.

‘The summer winds are soft and warm
‘They blow from desert and waving palm.

‘The autumn winds are rough and wild
‘They bring doom for man and child.

‘So turn me round and I will show
‘The proper way that you must go

‘But get it wrong and sorry be
‘For you must fight or you must flee.’

‘It’s some sort of puzzle to locate the correct door,’ he muttered to himself.

He paused to consider the words again. He wanted to be absolutely sure he got it right as he did not want to face the consequences of a wrong choice.

‘“Turn me round.” That’s probably the device in the centre. It must be like a combination lock. I don’t suppose there’ll be any help in listening for mechanisms working. It implies that a door will open anyway, and if it is wrong, dire consequences will result. OK. Then the other rhymes must give the directions. The second one must be the south wind as the Great Desert is in the south. The Barbarians with their horses are over the Western Mountains, so that must be the west wind. The one from the icy mountains must be the north wind, which leaves, by a process of elimination, the east wind for the final one. Ah! Got it. The clue is in the word “doom”. The Mountains of Doom are to the east.

That means it refers to the compass directions in the order: west, north, south and east. That must be the direction I turn the wheel.’

The problem now was locating north. There had been so many twists and turns that Carthinal had lost all sense of direction. ‘Bas, I could do with you now!’ he said, thinking of the ability of dwarves to locate direction underground. ‘Or I could do with a lodestone.’

He considered for a little longer, then decided that the mages would not have given an impossible task, so maybe there was a lodestone, or some other hint, hidden somewhere and he had missed it. 

After searching the room carefully, nothing became apparent, so he backtracked to the corridor that he had missed. He entered it holding his light high and walking with care, on the lookout for enemies.

There did not seem to be any danger down this tunnel. Suddenly, his light glinted off something in the wall of the tunnel. It was the door to a cupboard cut out of the rock. It was the metal ring to the left side of the door that glinted. He did not know whether there were any traps on the door, so he took his dagger and, standing to the side and as far away as he could, he raised the latch. The door swung open. He waited for a few seconds until he was sure that nothing was going to go off belatedly, and then held his light so that he could see into the space.

At first, he saw nothing, but when he put his hand into the cupboard and felt around, he came across a small object. On withdrawing it, he saw that it was a small case with a glass lid, and suspended inside the case was a small piece of lodestone, one end marked with red paint.

‘Just what I was looking for!’ he remarked, feeling rather smug.

He retraced his footsteps until he came back to the large round room, and now he could establish which way north was. He put the lodestone down, and turned the upper wheel until the notch was pointing to the west. After that, he rotated it to the north, then south, then east.

There was a rumbling sound. Carthinal held his breath, and the second door to the right slowly swung open. He waited for a few seconds, but nothing came out. He put out the torch so he could use infravision better and carefully approached the tunnel.

No heat sources to be seen, so he cautiously entered. Feeling his way, Carthinal crept along a tunnel that wound backwards and forwards, sometimes seeming to go back on itself a number of times. By now he had lost all sense of time, but decided that since no one had come to collect him, he must still be within the six hours, although it felt that he had been creeping along dark tunnels for days. 

He stopped for another drink and looked around. Still no heat sources. He lit another torch, noting with dismay that it was his last, and praying to Majora he was near enough to the end for it to last.

After a short while, a wall appeared in front of him. He stopped, thinking there had been no side passages for him to miss.

He noticed a cool breeze around his feet. Looking down, he saw a dark shadow towards the bottom of the wall to his left. He knelt, and sure enough, there was a low passage, only high enough to crawl along. Carthinal did not like this idea, as he felt vulnerable being unable to run, and with insufficient space to cast spells or throw his dagger. 

Memories came unbidden as to how mages sometimes died in the practical test. The more he tried to push those thoughts away, the more they stalked him, like ghosts, quietly and almost imperceptibly. He broke out into a sweat, and felt himself shiver.

‘This is no good,’ he scolded. ‘If you want to pass this damned test, you’ve got to go in there! Remember you promised Mabryl to do your best to get through.’

With that, he hitched his robe out of the way so he could crawl, and put out the light, as there would be no possibility of using it safely. It would have been humiliating to set himself on fire and have to be rescued. With that thought, he entered the tunnel.

‘Thank the gods for infravision. This would be a dreadful ordeal if one couldn’t see anything.’

Occasional small heat sources could be seen, but they were just spiders and beetles. 

Carthinal’s skin crawled as he thought of them getting in his clothing and onto his skin. Second only to undead, Carthinal hated spiders. 

Eventually, after what seemed like hours of crawling, but was in reality only about fifteen minutes, the crawl way ended in another large room.
At the exit from the crawl way, Carthinal paused and looked. 

‘Oh shit!’

Ahead of him was a large shape glowing red. It turned its eight red eyes towards where Carthinal crouched by the tunnel. It was a gigantic spider.

‘Oh shit!’ he re-iterated as the creature ran towards him across the room.

He remembered the true seeing spell he had on a scroll. Reasoning the mages would not deliberately try to kill their apprentices, he quickly pulled it out and read it. 

The spell took effect as the spider was about to strike.

To his relief it disappeared. 

It had been an illusion after all. 

Behind where the spider had crouched was a door. 

Carthinal ran across to it, looking around for any more nasty surprises, and pulled the door open. 

Light flooded into the cavern, blinding Carthinal for a moment, and he staggered over the threshold. Hands guided him to a chair, and voices were congratulating him for being the first one back. 

Slowly it dawned on him that he was out of the tunnels, and had succeeded in completing the practical test. His sense of relief was immense, and he offered up a prayer of thanks to Majora for his success. It was several minutes before he realised what it meant. He had passed his test and was now no longer an apprentice.

‘I did it, Mabryl. You said I would, but I didn’t believe you,’ he murmured.

‘What did you say?’ A voice spoke from by his side.

‘Oh, nothing. Was I talking aloud?’ He turned to see who had spoken. 

It was the mage who had overseen his test, Yssalithissandra.

‘Well done. You got back with half an hour to spare. We’re expecting some of the others any time now. How are you feeling?’

She sounded genuinely concerned, so Carthinal stood and told her he was feeling fine.

He stretched and looked towards the other doors. One of them was opening, and through it came Olipeca. She looked very tired, but not completely spent. 

He guessed she had not needed to use all her spells either. Her examiner escorted her to a chair, and spoke reassuring words to her. 

She seemed to realise she was out of the test tunnels and within the given time. Her face lit up with a smile. Her hair had come loose from its customary tight and severe style. It hung loose around her face, and the ecstatic smile as she realised she had made it through in time, made her look almost pretty.

One of the other doors opened and through it staggered Grimmaldo. He managed to get over the threshold but collapsed into the waiting arms of his examiner, and was all but carried to a chair. He had made it with only a few minutes to spare, but he had made it.

Carthinal looked around. There were three of them back, and there were five arch-mages. 

Carthinal was going to ask where the sixth arch-mage was when another door opened and he came in carrying something. He put it down on the floor, and the others could see that it was Laurre. 

He was lying very still. The mage said something to the others which the now ex-apprentices could not hear. Then he came over to where they were waiting.

‘I am very sorry to tell you that your friend, Laurre, did not make it through the labyrinth. He died in the ambush section. A great pity. We always regret the loss of a student, but the tests are essential as I am sure you appreciate.’

‘What about Ebrassaria and Hammevaro?’ asked Grimmaldo. 

As he was speaking, and the final few seconds ticked away, one of the last two doors opened and Hammevaro literally fell into the room, and was immediately violently sick on the floor. 

One of the mages called for an apprentice to clear it up as he lifted Hammevaro to one of the chairs, where he immediately passed out.

‘Well, he’s just made it,’ Grimmaldo whispered, ‘but what about Ebrassaria?’

In answer to his question, one of the wizards entered the final door and a few minutes later emerged with Ebrassaria clinging onto his arm. 

She looked the worst of them all, barely able to stand, and paler even than Grimmaldo looked before entering. 

The arch-mage accompanying her led her to a chair and sat her down. He gave her sips of water and talked to her quietly. 

She did not seem to realise what was going on or where she was at first, then suddenly it seemed to dawn on her that she was out of the labyrinth and that since she had required an escort out, she had not passed the practical. 

She burst into tears.


Yssalithissandra spoke quietly to the others. ‘Of course, this means she has failed to pass this test as she did not get out of the labyrinth in time,’ she sighed. ‘A great pity as she did so well in the theory. Still, a mage needs to be a practitioner as well as a theorist. She can always retake another time.’

As the group of newly promoted mages left the room Yssalithissandra approached Carthinal. 

Grimmaldo, and Hammevaro left to collapse somewhere to sleep, and Olipeca to find her master to give her the good news.

‘I have something that Mabryl was bringing for you,’ Carthinal told her. ‘An old spell book he thought would help you in your research of the lost knowledge.’

‘Really?’ replied the woman. ‘How odd I should turn out to be your examiner. Come to my rooms later and you can give it to me. We can talk about Mabryl. I knew him well when he was in the tower and would like to catch up on his life after he left here.’

‘Thank you,’ Carthinal answered, ‘I would like that.’

He realised that he was telling the truth. He was now ready to deal with Mabryl’s death and actually wanted to talk about him.

If you would like to know what happened to Carthinal after the test, the first book of The Wolves of Vimar series is available from your favourite online store as a paperback, hardback, e book or audio book. Just click on the button below, or on the cover on the sidebar.

Get my copy of The Wolf Pack

Did you enjoy this chapter? I decided to eliminate it because it added nothing to the actual story, nor much to the character of Carthinal.

I love hearing from you, so please leave your comments in the comments box.