Smorgasbord Fantasia

 Cameron Johnston's first series, for some reason, skimmed low on the radar of many readers/bloggers, which I think was a shame. Because I found his first book, The Traitor God, to be an absolute doozy of a debut . But I think, this one - The Maleficent Seven pitched as the Fantasy version of the Magnificent Seven, but featuring all villains, is going to be the definitive breakout novel for Johnston.  This was bloody relentless non-stop fun all the way, right from get go. Johnston gives us a heady mix of a line up of the most reprehensible villains (think Bloodthirsty Dracula rip-offs, Witches who control demons and death, Angry uncontrollable orcs, pirate queens and a pissed-off God of war along with a psychopath of an alchemist who relishes the most gory experiments ever!) going to head-to-head with a religious fanatic blessed by a mysterious Goddess' power of lightning. Yup, it is as bonkers as it sounds. And even more fun, when it actually comes to the execution on paper....

 This week on our Waiting on Wednesday meme, where we focus on some of the most awaited titles releasing in the SFF Genre for this year, we are featuring Cameron Johnston's The Maleficent Seven, from Angry Robot Books. This book sounds like SO.MUCH.FUN! ( snagged an early ARC and will get down to this one in July!)  When you are all out of heroes, all that's left are the villains. Black Herran was a dread demonologist, and the most ruthless general in all Essoran. She assembled the six most fearsome warriors to captain her armies: a necromancer, a vampire lord, a demigod, an orcish warleader, a pirate queen, and a twisted alchemist. Together they brought the whole continent to its knees... Until the day she abandoned her army, on the eve of total victory. 40 years later, she must bring her former captains back together for one final stand, in the small town of Tarnbrooke - the last bastion against a fanatical new enemy tearing through the land, intent on finishing the job Blac...

"Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “ Can’t Wait Wednesday ” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!  Coming fresh off the opening salvo, in the Age of Tyranny series, I am eagerly awaiting the second book, God of Broken Things by Cameron Johnston . Edrin Walker is not a pleasant man to be around but he attracts trouble. And that leads to some kick-ass action and wild savage magic that can rend the flesh off bones and break a mind, or two.  Here's the synopsis: Tyrant magus Edrin Walker destroyed the monster sent by the Skallgrim, but not before it laid waste to Setharis, and infested their magical elite with mind-controlling parasites. Edrin’s own Gift to seize the minds of others was cracked by the strain of battle, and he bare...

I am surprised at the lower-than-expected levels of hype around this brilliant debut, that burst onto the scene last year - Traitor God by Cameron Johnston . Like how did this book, not make it into the Best-Of-2018 lists mushrooming around? Why didn't people read this absolute doozy of a grim-dark badassery with a bastardly wisecrack of a protagonist headlining the damaged act in a gorgeously realized, gutter-fest of a city that is seething with magic and roiling with horrors from the dark deep? Why didn't I read this earlier? Anyways - with the second act of Acts of Tyranny coming right up, it was best that I do amends for the damages sooner than later. In the first few chapters of Traitor God, it is quickly established that Edrin Walker - professional loaded-dice player, peoplemancer and an inveterate drunk, is essentially an escapist. Having escaped from his birth city of Setharis - plagued with debts and chased by daemons, Walker is not ( definitely not!)  a blas...