Indie-authors? Some of us love them. Other won't touch them.
Me?
I have read as many awful traditionally published books as I've read indie.
And I've read as many brilliant indie books as I have read traditional.
So as long as the indie book has been properly edited, I'm there, happy to dive in and enjoy the ride.
What do you think? Leave a comment and let's chat.
In the meantime . . .
This week, as part of INDIEpendence Day (hosted by the Indelibles), I'm sharing my all-time favourite indie author with you: Lindsay Buroker.
Today, it's the turn of Book Two - Dark Currents, (Goodreads) - to be loved.
But first, what's it about?
The Goodreads blurb sums it up beautifully . . .
It's been three months since former enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon and the notorious assassin Sicarius thwarted kidnappers and saved the emperor's life. The problem? Nobody knows they were responsible for this good deed. Worse, they're being blamed for the entire scheme. With enforcers and bounty hunters stalking them, and the emperor nursing a personal hatred for Sicarius, it's going to be hard to earn exoneration. When Amaranthe's team discovers mutilated bodies in the city aqueducts and a mysterious illness incapacitates thousands of citizens, she and Sicarius see an opportunity to solve the mystery and prove their loyalty. But they'll have to defeat vengeful shamans, man-eating predators, and deadly mechanical constructs, all while dodging imperial soldiers who would rather kill them than accept their help. Nobody said exoneration would be easy.
Okay, with that out the way, let me tell you why I loved Dark Currents.
1. It's written from two POV's.
Amaranthe and Books, the disgraced history profession turned outlaw, share the stage.
This adds real depth because not only are we following the main adventure, we also learn about Books, his background, fears and weaknesses. His sub-story adds to the richness of the plot. I'm glad Buroker chose to highlight him first because he seemed to me to be the weakest character. Not anymore. After Dark Currents, he's a vital asset to the team. And what would Maldynado do without Books to tease?
2. The plot and the setting are so original.
Come on, high fantasy (which I love) set against an era of steam! How can that not thrill? Then you throw in the crazy magic with soul constructs and amazing mechanical devices and you're off to a hectic ride.
3. More twists and turns than a spiral staircase.
Honestly, the plot grabs you by the throat from the first page and doesn't let go until the last, leading you along such a convoluted path that it's impossible to second guess what will happen next. The tension is unremitting, broken only by the relentlessly funny dialogue.
4. The dialogue.
It's so sharp with endless one-liners which left me laughing out loud. Lindsay Buroker writes brilliantly.
5. The characters.
As I've said before, they're so real, I swear they live and breath in a parallel universe.
Now, I'm not the only obsessed idiot out there. There's vibrant Fan Art page on Pinterest where other (more talented) hopeless cases like myself have created some stunning pics of the characters. I share three of these with permission from Lindsay Buroker.
A great new Emperor's Edge group scene from Vaudevillian on the EE forum: the-emperors-edge... #fantasy #steampunk
Now, I'm not the only obsessed idiot out there. There's vibrant Fan Art page on Pinterest where other (more talented) hopeless cases like myself have created some stunning pics of the characters. I share three of these with permission from Lindsay Buroker.
Amaranthe (in front) Sicirius (in monochromatic black) Books (leaning over the manuscript) Maldynado (disowned aristocrat, turned gigolo, turned outlaw) with his outlandish hat. Aksytr (wannabe magician . . . I mean Practitioner) pouring over a Made (Magical) Construct. Bald-headed Basilard.
Now for a look at the two POV characters in Dark Currents . . .
Our heroine, seen through the eyes of Jennifer, EE Fan Artist.
I think it's a pretty good rendition of what the kick-butt Amaranthe looks like.
I must admit, this is not how I pictured Books.
I saw him as much older and . . . fussy, almost like an old woman with wet knickers. By the end of Dark Currents, I held him in much higher esteem!
Pity the artist didn't leave a name.
Well I think that's enough raving for one day. Anyone would think Lindsay is paying me to say all these nice things. I promise you, she isn't! I bought this book with own hard-earned cash.
Stars?
Need I say it? Five, of course.
Where can you buy Dark Currents?
Firstly, I must tell you that book one, Emperor's Edge, is free everywhere.
Dark Currents is available on Amazon/ Smashwords/ Barnes & Noble
Cheers
Gwynn
PS. The next EE series review will be of Deadly Games (Goodreads) which I will post next week. As a special treat I have an interview with Lindsay Buroker that I'm excited to share with you. I will also be posting a couple more pieces of fan art. In the meantime, don't forget to check out the link on Pinterest.
