Etched City, By KJ Bishop

I'm going to throw one out there that I've only seen in trade paperback so far.

Etched City is Bishop's first book, and follows two characters in a very grim, very low-magic fantasy world that has some gunpowder weapons. In a sense, it reminded me of The Dark Tower series. The pair of characters we initially focus on are Gwynn and Raule, a gunslinging reaver and a battlefield medic who escape a failed rebellion to settle in the sultry riverside city of Ashamoil.

We see Gwynn's descent into the organized crime factions of the urban underworld and Raule's attempts to find redemption through service to the less fortunate of the alleys and slums. There are philosophical discussions, drunkard priests, knife-fights and melees. This book is an outstanding source of inspiration for creating a gritty, bloody urban environment that still feels appropriately fantastic.

The characterization is great, the settings diverse but well done, and the paired plotlines twine together in a comfortable manner that doesn't overwhelm one side or the other. It weighs in at a little over three hundred pages, but I found it to be a quick read that kept me engrossed. KJ is an author to keep an eye on for her sophomore effort; if Etched City is any indication, we can expect great things.

You can find it on amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Etched-City-K-J-Bishop/dp/189481522X

But I'd urge you to pick it up at your local small bookstore...

-Ben.

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Progressio sine timore aut praejudicia

Thanks!  I've had that one in my "Shopping List" at Amazon for months.  I'll have to go ahead and get it.  Might as well join my stack of "Books to read when I have time".  It sounds great!

 

-S. 

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Everybody knows that the dice are loaded...