The Sacred Radiance, The Dragon and His Wrath, A Vital Breath (Paxton Locke Books 4-6) By Daniel Humphreys

Paxton Locke is that one kid from high school who didn't want to come to your after prom party because he was afraid he'd get in trouble. The twist comes when he decides that it's safer to go rob a bank or sumfin'. Like seriously, Paxton would be so much better off if he had a clue how much trouble he was getting himself into. That seems to be the common them of The Sacred Radiance, The Dragon and His Wrath, and A Vital Breath, Books Four through Six in the Paxton Locke series. 

Seriously, Locke has an issue with authority. Fans of the earlier books will realize that this is probably due to complications in his relationship with his abusive mother, who murdered his father. When your first authority figure is sick, twisted, depraved, deranged and in general not known for worrying about your well-being it kind of makes you a bit less than trusting of the people who are giving you orders. Paxton though, never lets his dislike of taking orders threaten himself or his partners.

No, it seems that he has other ways to do that. Locke is an extremely powerful mage who uses his arcane abilities in ways that aren't quite as safe as some others would prefer. He has a tendency to cast first and ask questions later. In fact, I'm not totally convinced that he has the knowledge to begin asking the right questions just yet, and I find that worrisome, although it doesn't seem to bother him much. 

Right from the beginning of Sacred Radiance Paxton seems to be learning a lot about not being a loner anymore, in both his private and professional lives. His career started off driving around the country in a motor home, all alone and never settling in one spot. Now he has a woman who means the world to him and a team that he is part of and accountable to. It makes a big difference in his life and in his job and he's adapting but it's harder than maybe he thought. I like that about the character though.

Paxton Locke is a character that is impulsive, perhaps a bit selfish at times and who quite frequently fails to make the most prudent decision possible given his situation, but he is eminently believable. Locke makes a list I have of characters that I almost feel like I've sat at a table and had a conversation with, because he's that lifelike and consistent. 

Seriously, I've compared the sensation of a new book coming out in one of my favorite series to having an old friend stop by for dinner. Paxton is a guy who could come in, have a glass of pop (Jimbo is not a coffee drinker and I don't own a coffee pot) or something stronger, and hang out for awhile telling me about his latest exploits. I'm sure we could all have a good laugh about the time he pulled all the en...

Yeah, never mind that ginormous spoiler. It sure was fun though.

I'm hoping that, since Book Five is literally named The Dragon and His Wrath, I can get away with revealing that it had a dragon in it. I love Humphreys's take on dragons. I've always preferred the intelligent, conniving, ruthless style dragon ala Dragonlance or the Temeraire series (I hope I spelled that right) over the mindless, crude, animals like the ones depicted in Harry Potter or Harry Turtledove's World at War series. Kudos to Humphreys for getting it right where two far more famous authors didn't. 

And listen, it's not my fault those other two authors are more famous. I'm sitting right here promoting Humphreys's work. Have you left your review on Amazon? If I can knock out a thousand words (my usual minimum) you can knock out twenty. It ain't hard folks. Who doesn't like telling everybody about something they like? And no, it's not your fault personally, but word of mouth worked for Larry Correia (twice, Monster Hunter International was originally self-published and Dead Six started off on a gun forum. Of course, that helped Mike Kupari get started too.) and Andy Weir (The Martian also appeared on a forum site, this one for science nerds I think) so we can make it work for some of these indy authors, too. For the record, I wasn't involved in any of these incidents. I'm just evilly plotting to help good authors sell good books.

But please tell me you're not just noticing that.

No, really PLEASE tell me you've picked up on that at some point.

In A Vital Breath, Locke pushes the Fwoosh Button  and heads off into the multiverse. I love this book because alternate realities are something I'm really into. I have been since I read my first alt-hist book right after my father passed. Locke does some bouncing, runs into some old friends, and does some things that might not technically be considered a responsible use of magic. It was a lot of fun. I wanna try. I mean, I know magics not real and that it's not actually possible, but I wanna do that one thing that he does. Of course, the reason he has to do it sucks..

But every story has to have a problem right? And, trust me, at that point he has one. It's not a problem I'd want to deal with, that's for sure. I mean, unless I could do the thing.

Actually, not even then.

And on the way, Locke runs into some old friends and finds some new ones. I was really happy to see another friend in particular, even if it was only for a second. I'm not going to say who it was but if you read this blog and you can't figure it out on your own, you need to work on your reading comprehension skills.

Parts of the story focus more on Agent Valentine as well and I like that. Valentine is a bad ass with a lot going on and I'm not really sure what his story is (and that's intentional on Humphreys's part) but maybe when Humphreys gets sick of Locke he can do a series of Valentine prequels. That sounds like it would probably be a lot of fun and I'd buy them. I'm just sayin'.

 Overall, the only complaint I have about any of these books is that I can never read them again for the first time. I mean, I'm the guy who used to hang out in his grandma's basement watching the Star Wars films every holiday instead of socializing, but there's just something about that first time through and not knowing what's coming next. Speaking of which, there has to be a next book and I can't wait for it.

One last word of warning: These are not stand-alone novels. I highly recommend starting this series at the beginning. It'll make a lot more sense that way and they're all good books. 

Bottom Line: 5.0 out of 5 Frozen Lakes

The Sacred Radiance
Daniel Humphreys
Self Published, 2022

The Dragon and His Wrath
Daniel Humphreys
Self Published, 2022

A Vital Breath
Daniel Humphreys
Self Published, 2022

The books above can be purchased at the links below. If you click a link and buy literally anything from Amazon, I get a small percentage at no additional cost to you.

The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin by L. Jagi Lamplighter

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Alright guys, I have a confession to make. Even though I'm most definitely not part of the generation that grew up on Harry Potter, I have an addiction to it. I follow HP Facebook groups. I've gotten both of my daughters hooked on it. I'm a flat out J.K Rowling fanboi to the point that I even know that it's pronounced like “bowling.” (Note to international readers: Most Americans don't know that. They pronounce it like the ow in “cow”.) So when I picked up a copy of The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin by L. Jagi Lamplighter, I was pretty amazed.

The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin is most definitely not a Harry Potter clone, but it has some similar elements that made it feel simultaneously comfortable and exciting. Why? Well, it takes place in a boarding school. The inhabitants of the World of the Wise (as magic users call themselves) also like to ride around on brooms, although Rachel's is definitely unlike any other broom I've ever read about anywhere. And, of course, it is a fantasy story set approximately in modern times. I love that aspect of it.

The titular Rachel is our heroine and she is quite the intrepid young lady. She has been admitted to Roanoke Academy for the Sorcerous Arts a year early (aged thirteen instead of fourteen) and she is raring to go. This is a thirteen year old that I can admire. She works hard, doesn't make excuses and is extremely brave. She's also smarter than you average bear (that's why she got admitted early) and has one hundred percent recall of anything she's seen or heard. She often uses that to her considerable advantage. I like this chick. It's too bad she doesn't actually exist. I'd try to get her to hang out with my daughters.

Rachel is a member of an old-school magical family that's kind of important. She's a member of a noble family and her father is a higher-up in the magical law enforcment community. People know who she is. She's not as famous as some others, but she definitely gets recognized. I kind of liked this aspect of her. Rachel is for sure not the Chosen One per se. There is no legend following her around. She has just enough renown to get the other important characters to notice her and yet still has enough humility to get along with almost anybody.

Rachel ends up in a situation that not many adults would do well at facing and comes out of it a champion. Seriously, one would have to think that perhaps Mrs. Lamplighter has done some reading about Medal of Honor winners from the United States. Rachel has no quit in her. She can go to war at my side anytime. I mean, just as long as she doesn't stand too close. Chick takes a beating like a champ, but I'd prefer not to be taken down as collateral damage just for being next to her.

And it's weird too, because she doesn't come to school to be some kind of hero. Yes, she wanted to have some adventures but I doubt that what she had in mind came anywhere close to how it all shook out. This is a girl who wants to learn all there is to know about magic and enjoy herself along the way. I admire her commitment to learning. She's like Hermione in a way, only more so.

In Harry Potter it's just accepted that every student studies every type of magic. So we see Harry in everything from Transfiguration to Potions. That's not so at Roanoke. The students there are sorted into houses not based on some nebulous personality trait, but on what form of magic they wish to study. Rachel is an enchanter. She plays music and uses it as a focus to cast her magic. One of her friends is a thaumaturge. He uses objects as a focus. Thaumaturgy has a bit of a rough reputation and it's something that Rachel struggles with when deciding whether or not to trust him. I'm not going to go through all of the types of magic, but I like this system.

In a world where you can specialize in very narrowly defined fields in the world of the Unwary (those are non-magical type folk) it makes sense that a mage would specialize in an area of magic too. Concentrating on one area often makes someone better at what they do than studying an area in general would. I like the way this works. Of course, I've got something similar in my current Work in Progress so I may be a bit biased.

Her cast of friends is also pretty amazing. You've got some royalty. Add to that a touch of dragon-killing commoner. Throw in a dash of that one dude from the other side of the tracks and the occassional  surprisingly on our side guy and it really is a good time. The cast mixes well and is believable. These kids are something else.

WATCH OUT!! FLYING FLAMING SKUNK!!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Sorry, flashback. Where was I?

Oh yeah...

The action in this book is awesome. There are some wicked fights and some terrifying visions. The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin is not a story for the faint of heart. Things move quickly. Sometimes stuff explodes. It's not always clear what kind of magic is being used by who. This is a Young Adult novel, but it's supercharged. When things get moving, they go quickly. There is very little time to stop and breathe. Don't get me wrong: I like a nice relaxing read every once in awhile, but I much prefer something that doesn't let up and that's The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin. 

Also, a word to the wise: The title page clearly states that The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin is based on the works of Mark A. Whipple. I feel like I should make some type of comment on how well I see those works reflected here, but I haven't read them. That much having been said, I had absolutely no problem following the story and look forward to reading the rest of the series.


Botto4.75 out of 5 Talking Dragons

The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin
L Jagi Lamplighter
Wisecraft Publishing, 2016

The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin is available for purchase at the following link. If you click it and buy literally anything from Amazon, I get a small percentage of your purchase at no extra cost to you.

Pam Uphoff's Directorate School

So, sometimes works in the Fantasy genre are based on popular tropes. I'd go as far as to say that most are. The thing about any trope is that it became a trope because it's entertaining.  So yes, Pam Uphoff's Directorate School is, at its heart, based on a trope: It's a boarding school for kids. And yes, J.K. Rowling used it too. Rowling has sold only God knows how many millions of books though and that's because it's a good trope. It works. And Directorate School is a good book. I like the whole "Let's go to school and save the world in my spare time" thing. Who didn't think their problems were world ending as a teenager? Of course, in this book they're probably right, but why nitpick?

The Directorate Series, so I have been told, is a continuation of the Wine of the Gods series, which started with Outcasts and Gods. I have to confess that I have not read as many of the books in the series as I would like to. I'm working on it. I damn sure plan to own them all at some point.

Despite the fact that Directorate School is a follow on to an earlier series, I had no problem whatsoever understanding what was going on. There was less heavy world building than I've seen in other books to be sure, but I liked that. The fact that we missed the lecture on the middle name of the emperor's sister's, cousin's, cat's, dog's, pet goldfish's little brother is a good thing. It kept things moving and the book has multiple sequels, so it's not like she had to squeeze it all in. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed John Ringo's The Last Centurion and I'm a David Weber fan (and sometimes I'd like to see a Weber of words meaning a huge infodump the same way people refer to a Weber of missiles) so it's not like I don't enjoy some background. I just don't think it always needs to be there and Heinleining in details works.

The upshot of avoiding needless exposition is that we get additional action. Directorate School cooks with grease. There is always something going on. Whether it's schoolyard battles in the dojo or actual combat, something is happening. And there is the usual teenage thing going on in the background. I can't believe how grateful I was that I didn't have to save the world right before that big math test. I mean, I didn't KNOW how grateful I was, but I was totally grateful. Seriously, these kids do great.

And that's part of what works about Directorate School. The kids are just that: kids. They do things that every kid does and they sweat about it. When Magic class finals roll around, they start to sweat. When school starts and they have to face off in Martial Arts class to decide who's best things get interesting. There are high school style cliques. One of them causes the problem that pushes the plot. It all makes sense.

Our heroes end up involved in things that should be well above their pay grade as cadets. They rock it out anyway because they're the heroes. Seriously, it's a bit surprising in one respect. Magic is an integral part of the world that Uphoff has created but our characters are in their first year at the Directorate School and don't know how to use their magic yet. I can't wait till the next book when they learn how to because it is on like a neck-bone. These kids are bad asses now. When they have all of their tools, look out. I mean that. I can't wait to see it. Uphoff intentionally disadvantaged her main characters this time around but when it's go time and they actually learn what they're doing it's going to be scary. It's weird how they're all going into separate specialties too. It's almost like they're going to need multiple talents to overcome problems in future books and she's working to make that believable now. Hmmm...

A lot of these kids are important kids. Don't get me wrong. Those of you out there who hate any mention of The One are going to be okay here. There is one kid who seems to be more powerful than the rest, but for the most part  note of them seem to be prophesied or anything. They're just kids doing what they need to do because they're stuck at ground zero of a terrible event. I would hope that I'd be able to do the same if I were in their position. And, upon more mature consideration, it may be two of the kids that seem more powerful than everyone else. So, either there is no Chosen One, or there is and he hasn't been born yet. I haven't read any of the sequels yet, so there is a ninety plus percent chance that I'm talking out of my third point of contact but hmmmm...

Probably my only complaint about Directorate School is that it's too short. I mean, I know there are like elebenty bajillion sequels or something and that's awesome but what happens here could have been more detailed. I know one particular occurrence that I would have liked to have seen that happened off-screen. I was a bit frustrated by that. I'm sure Uphoff had her reasons but some things are better shown than told. It kinda irked me a bit. It didn't ruin the story. It was definitely believable. It just happened where we couldn't see it. Then the big reveal hits and I was left feeling a bit cheated.

The story is a good one overall though. I plan on picking up a copy of the next book as soon as possible. Uphoff can really write. Her worlds live and breathe. Her characters are entertaining and have believable motivations. People underestimate that. The fact remains that a character only makes sense if the reason that they're doing what they're doing for an at least semi-logical reason (semi because some emotional motivations don't make strict logical sense even if they are understandable) and Uphoff nails that. In reading Directorate School I never stop to wonder why someone would bother.

Bottom Line: 4.5 out of 5 School Books

Directorate School
P.A. Uphoff
Self Published, 2016

David L. Burkhead's The Kinmar

Alright, let's set the table. We've got two magically powered knights. We've got an unknown number of human-animal crossbreeds known as Kinmar chasing them. The Kinmar have already burned a village full of humans and murdered a little girl. Things get intense. One of the knights is wounded. The other decides to act as bait. She's outnumbered. How could she win this fight? There is magic, known as the Knightbond exists and it would help if she were better at it... This thing just keeps moving. Granted, The Kinmar is a novella and not a full sized novel but I read the whole thing start to finish in somewhere south of forty minutes.

I was actually a bit sad about how quickly I got through this story. I was waiting outside of a place for a job interview and it didn't kill as much time as I needed it to. That much being said, it's actually a compliment for the story that I never once came up for air. There really wasn't time to. Burkhead has streamlined The Kinmar to the point where there is no natural place to pause, no wasted time to allow his reader's mind to wander. Once I opened this thing up I was hooked and it wouldn't let me go. It was a rollicking good time.

The magic in the book, the Knightbond, was well crafted. I'm a big fan of magic in books and an even bigger fan of magic that makes sense. The Knightbond is a type of magic that works but is limited. It takes a skilled practitioner and does not have unlimited ability to accomplish whatever it is used for. It also has uses not commonly seen in other magical systems, such as the ability to find another Knight simply by following the trail of the magic toward them. It combines effects of what a Dungeons and Dragons fan would call Arcane and Divine spells and has some of the trappings of piscine as well. Burkhead has done a good job of mixing ideas and including what works best without going the full Superman and making his characters too high powered.

Author David L. Burkhead also does something that every fantasy author should do: He gives us villains that are smart enough and have the physical capability to be a legitimate threat without turning them into unstoppable engines of death. The Kinmar have the capabilities that would logically come with their half animal forms (IE the bull is big and strong, the squirrel can climb trees well, the cat has a well-developed sense of smell, etc) and that makes sense. They also have the ability to use the same weapons that a human would. They're dangerous. The fact remains that they bleed when they're struck and they die if they bleed too much.

Missing altogether is any mention of religion and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Yes, I'm a Christian, but it's not the Christian religion I'm missing. Typically in fantasy fiction a magically powered knight would be a paladin and in service to one of the gods of good. Alternately, some universes have anti-paladins that have evil powers and serve the gods of evil. Burkhead's knights seem to gather their power from within rather than from an external source such as a god or goddess. I follow Mr Burkhead on Facebook and I know he doesn't really subscribe to a religion so maybe I'm just a little more sensitive to this than most readers would be but it still left an impression.

The Kinmar themselves are not quite as well fleshed out as I would like. There is evidence of a division in their ranks and ultimately their motivation for burning the village and killing people is revealed but it's kind of predictable. Some of this may be because this is a novella and not a multi-novel saga but it would have been a bit more fun to find out what they're thinking instead of simply seeing them as physical threats.  There is a lot still left to explore here.

Having brought that up, I'm going to go off on a rant that touches this story only tangentially.  The first page of the book lists the story Treva's Children being also in the series. It doesn't say which work comes first. I checked the Amazon listing. It doesn't mention a series or another book. Please, please, please, indy authors and publishers alike: I love reading series. So do lots of other people who read Science Fiction and Fantasy. Why is it so hard to include the phrase "Number ___ in the ___ series" at the beginning of the blurb? I can't speak to the rest of the world, but I don't read a series out of order if I can help it. If I'm searching online or browsing in a bookstore, the quickest way to lose a sale is to let me find out that a book is in a given series and leave me with no way to figure out what book starts the series. I'm not saying this to single out Mr Burkhead. He is far from the only one who does this. This is a general rant but I honestly believe that it could help sales and it only requires six words worth of typing. That's just me though.

Overall, there was a lot to like about this book and my complaints are minor. There was nothing here that really through me and I didn't even think about the religion thing until I started typing the review. I really enjoyed this work and I believe you will too.

Bottom Line: 4.5 out of 5 broadswords

The Kinmar
David L. Burkhead
Self Published, 2014

The Kinmar is available for purchase here:

The Black Prism by Brent Weeks

In general, I'm a fan of fantasy before I'm a fan of SF. I know that's sacrilege to some, but it's true. Don't blame me, blame Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It's all their fault. I am also a fan of the Night Angel Trilogy. So when I found out that Brent Weeks was working on a new series, I flipped out. I am an unapologetic fanboy, so keep that in mind while you're reading this review. I may be a bit biased, but I think he's earned it. Stories like this are what keep bringing me back to the genre. What story? The Black Prism by Brent Weeks.

Our hero is Kip, a poor boy from the edge of town. The problem being that Kip is not very hero-like. He's short, fat, of average intelligence, is terrible with girls and is not exactly the bravest of souls. The closest he comes to "heroic" is He is, however, an enterprising young lad and the beginning of the book finds him scavenging for a substance called "luxin" when the invaders approach his hometown. What follows is a nightmare sequence with Kip running for his life, losing his mother, seeing his friends cut down and learning that he can draft.

"Drafting" is the form of magic that Weeks uses in his Lightbringer novels. In essence, a drafter can create luxin based on his abilities (most drafters can only use one or two colors) and the light that is available. So, for example, a green drafter has to see something green in order to use his magic. Different types of luxin have different properties. It takes a minute to get used to all of the permutations, but it's worth it, because in a world with luxin, a drafter can make just about anything at any time. It's both fascinating and frightening in its implications and Weeks does a good job of showing off the good, the bad and the ugly as far as the implications of the magic goes. Sometimes the characters find new things to invent using the luxin and sometimes they use it to recreate technological innovations in the real world. Either way, it's awesome.

The consequences of being a drafter are horrible. As a drafter uses his power, luxin begins to collect in their irises. As more power is used, more power collects. When the "halo" as it is called expands too far it breaks. Once a halo breaks, the drafter is expected to kill himself. Any drafter that fails to do so is hunted down and killed.

Kip, our young hero, is eventually thrust into a world of political intrigue at levels that few ascend to and even fewer survive. Kip himself is targeted. In general, I'm a fan of fantasy before I'm a fan of SF. I know that's sacrilege to some, but it's true. Don't blame me, blame Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It's all their fault. I am also a fan of the Night Angel Trilogy. So when I found out that Brent Weeks was working on a new series, I flipped out. I am an unapologetic fanboy, so keep that in mind while you're reading this review. I may be a bit biased, but I think he's earned it. Stories like this are what keep bringing me back to the genre.

Our hero is Kip, a poor boy from the edge of town. The problem being that Kip is not very hero-like. He's short, fat, of average intelligence, is terrible with girls and is not exactly the bravest of souls. The closest he comes to "heroic" is keeping his drug-addicted prostitute mother alive. At the end of the day though, I like Kip. He got dealt a bum hand. He has nothing and no status but, through it all, he survives. He is also an enterprising young lad and the beginning of the book finds him scavenging for a substance called "luxin" when the invaders approach his hometown. What follows is a nightmare sequence with Kip running for his life, losing his mother, seeing his friends cut down and learning that he can draft.

"Drafting" is the form of magic that Weeks uses in his Lightbringer novels. In essence, a drafter can create luxin based on his abilities (most drafters can only use one or two colors) and the light that is available. So, for example, a green drafter has to see something green in order to use his magic. Different types of luxin have different properties. It takes a minute to get used to all of the permutations, but it's worth it, because in a world with luxin, a drafter can make just about anything at any time. It's both fascinating and frightening in its implications and Weeks does a good job of showing off the good, the bad and the ugly as far as the implications of the magic goes. Sometimes the characters find new things to invent using the luxin and sometimes they use it to recreate technological innovations in the real world. Either way, it's awesome.

The consequences of being a drafter are horrible. As a drafter uses his power, luxin begins to collect in their irises. As more power is used, more power collects. When the "halo" as it is called expands too far it breaks. Once a halo breaks, the drafter is expected to kill himself. Any drafter that fails to do so is hunted down and killed.

Kip, our young hero, is eventually thrust into a world of political intrigue at levels that few ascend to and even fewer survive. But through it all, he continues to either keep his wits or panic just right and get through it all. A revelation about who his father really is changes his life. That's all just the beginning.

Is this story perfect? No. The plot gets really Machiavellian in spots and it's not always easy to follow. Kip is mainly a likeable guy but he can be a little clueless in some areas and I wanted to shake him a few times. The concept of drafting is awesome, but it starts out as a bit confusing until the reader gets the hang of how it works. The mentor in the story is not a very nice guy either, which makes for a nice change of pace but can be grating if it's not what you're expecting. Despite all of that though, I really did enjoy this book.

Bottom Line: 4.5 out of five luxin bricks

The Black Prism
Brent Weeks
Orbit, 2010