Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy (Rated-R fantasy) |Series: The Advent Lumina Cycle #1
Published: December 7th, 2021 | Intended Age Group: 18+ | Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 751
Magick CSIs · Medieval X-men · Superhuman Serial Killers
Book Blurb
A drug addict who hunts sorcerers down by tracking their magick, the most renowned swordsman no one has ever heard of, and a thieving magick-wielding woman hellbent on revenge collide during a last ditch effort to stop an insane superhuman serial killer from making himself a god.
The Render Tracers always say magick users deserve to burn. Aren couldn’t agree more, Keluwen would beg to differ, and Corrin couldn’t care less either way.
In a world where most people use swords for protection, Aren uses tools that let him see what no one else can see, and he takes advantage of loopholes that can undo magick in order to stop the deadliest people in the world. He is a Render Tracer, relentlessly pursuing rogue sorcerers who bend the laws of physics to steal, assault, and kill. But his next hunt will lead him to question his entire life, plunging him into a world where he can’t trust anyone, not even his own eyes.
When Keluwen finally escaped her fourthparents’ home and set out on her own to become a thief, she never thought she would one day be killing her own kind. She honed her magick on the streets, haunted by her past, hunted by Render Tracers, and feared by a society that hates what she is. Now she joins a crew of outcast magicians on a path of vengeance as they race to stop an insane sorcerer who has unlocked the source of all magick and is trying to use it to make himself a god.
Corrin is a sword fighter first, a drinker second, and a...well, there must be something else he is good at. He'll think of it if you give him enough time. He is a rogue for hire, and he has no special powers of any kind. The most magick he has ever done is piss into the wind without getting any on himself. He is terrible at staying out of trouble, and someone always seems to be chasing him. When he gets caught up in a multi-kingdom manhunt, he finds himself having to care about other people for a change, and he’s not happy about it.
They are about to collide on the trail of a man who is impossible to catch, who is on the verge of plunging the world into ruin, and who can turn loyal people into traitors in a single conversation. They must struggle against their own obsessions, their fears, ancient prophecies, and each other. They will each have to balance the people they love against their missions, and struggle to avoid becoming the very thing they are trying to stop.
Giveaway
Prize: Three (3) Paperback and Two (2) Hardcover Copies of We Break Immortals by Thomas Howard Riley - US Only
Starts: January 10th, 2022 at 6:00am EST | Ends: January 17th, 2022 at 12:00am EST
Book Review
Thank you to Thomas Howard Riley and Escapist Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!
Aren hunts down rogue magick users to send to the fires and chases away his disturbing thoughts with a pinch of malagayne. Corrin is a skilled swordsman who could care less what he’s hired for as long as there's money in it for him. Keluwen is a user with a grudge and the means to murder. Somehow, along with their companions, the three will find their stories intertwine in order to hunt down a luminous user. A user unafraid to turn friend against friend and slaughter innocents to gain more power.
We Break Immortals brings readers into a highly detailed fantasy world. Bits and pieces are revealed through storytelling and Aren’s fascination with history. Mixed in along the way are discussions on myths and poetry. And let’s not forget the variety of cities and cultures readers will experience. I loved viewing the world through multiple characters’ eyes because they held such a wide variety of opinions. Their cultural backgrounds and experiences brought to light how differently the world can be viewed based on what a person has endured in life.
Sometimes the amount of worldbuilding delivered through dialogue was a bit much and I had to take a moment to absorb the information. Secondary characters and settings drifted out of scenes as dialogue commenced and the balance of characters and setting tipped. However, with the amount of worldbuilding taking place within We Break Immortals, I can understand the necessity for so much information.
Thomas Howard Riley is one of those authors that will lead you down one plotline and suddenly turn it inside out. The main goals of the characters will shift and change, ensuring you will always be kept on your toes. There will be revelations and betrayals, quick escapes, and devastating moments. And all the while the characters will be just as stricken as the readers, struggling to realign themselves with their new situations. With each new obstacle thrown into the characters’ paths, readers will find themselves all the more captivated.
I was also amused by the clever writing style. Two of the main characters forge forward with misconceptions about each other’s intentions. This provided wonderful conflict and when the two finally met, the ensuing dialogue was brilliant. While the reader knows the true intentions and alliances, the characters have them completely backward. I have never read a book before that executed such a feat between two characters. I needed to know how the situation would resolve it, if at all.
And I cannot end this review without mentioning the magick system. We Break Immortals has a complex system, and it does take a little while to comprehend. I’m one of those readers who may not fully grasp a concept until I see it in action multiple times. And not only do readers have the chance to see a variety of ways magick is used, but they will also discover that there are ways in which magick users can be tracked. Aren is a Render Tracer and specializes in finding the leftover threads of magick and hunting down rogue users.
Stepping into the world of We Break Immortals ensures readers will be engaged in a gripping story. The characters are delightfully flawed, struggling against not only their inner demons but the external forces working against them. The world-building is in-depth and the magick system is complex. Fans of high fantasy and epic fantasy novels will enjoy this book.
All or part of this book review may be used in marketing, I only ask that you reference Behind the Pages if you choose to do so.
About the Author
Thomas Howard Riley currently resides in a secluded grotto in the wasteland metropolis, where he reads ancient books, plays ancient games, watches ancient movies, jams on ancient guitars, and writes furiously day and night. He sometimes appears on clear nights when the moon is gibbous, and he has often been seen in the presence of cats.
He can be found digitally at http://thomashowardriley.com
On Twitter he is @ornithopteryx, where he is sometimes funny, always clever, and never mean.
On Instagram he is ThomasHowardRiley, where you will see books, and cats, and mayhem.