Bound by Alan Baxter

Bound by Alan Baxter is the first novel I've read by the author, although I have read short stories in the (recent) past. I have to admit I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this book (aside from accurate fight scenes) and I don't think I could've predicted what I did get.

Alex Caine is a martial artist fighting in illegal cage matches. His powerful secret weapon is an unnatural vision that allows him to see his opponents’ moves before they know their intentions themselves.

An enigmatic Englishman, Patrick Welby, approaches Alex after a fight and reveals, ‘I know your secret.’ Welby shows Alex how to unleash a breathtaking realm of magic and power, drawing him into a mind-bending adventure beyond his control. And control is something Alex values above all else…

A cursed grimoire binds Alex to Uthentia, a chaotic Fey godling, who leads him towards chaos and murder, an urge Alex finds harder and harder to resist. Befriended by Silhouette, a monstrous Kin beauty, Alex sets out to recover the only things that will free him - the shards of the Darak. But that powerful stone also has the potential to unleash a catastrophe which could mean the end of the world as we know it.

Probably the simplest way to describe Bound is as an origin story for Alex. At least, that's how it felt when I got to the end. I'm probably getting ahead of myself saying that, though. Let me go back to the beginning.

Alex has a small talent for magic and is discovered by a more experienced magic user after using his magical intuition to win a cage match. After that, he picks up magic pretty quickly. Too quickly I thought, until the main thrust of the novel revealed itself. There were two really interesting aspects to the story, I thought. First, there's the effect the cursed grimoire has on him. Being cursed, it is inherently evil and its magic insinuates its way into Alex's mind. It doesn't exactly control him, but it has a negative influence. I found Alex's struggle with what's inside of him fascinating. He wonders, during the book, whether he is becoming evil himself and I found myself asking the same questions. I really wasn't sure how it was going to go, which made it a more exciting read.

I can't not mention the main antagonists (aside from the cursed grimoire, that is). We are exposed to the magic relic dealer, Hood, through the eyes of his PA, Sparks. Hood has no scruples and spends the book trying to get his hands on whatever it is that Alex and Silhouette have (he doesn't actually know). Sparks is a more difficult and interesting character. At first, I thought she was another of Hood's victims under some sort of spell. That may have been just misinterpretation on my part because later on it becomes clear that she does actually care about him and stays with him by choice. On the one hand, this did make the character feel a bit inconsistent, but on the other hand I quite liked reading about her (I won't go so far as to say I liked her as a person...). It's unclear whether she will appear in the next book (my guess is not, but who knows), but I certainly wouldn't object if she did make an appearance.

Until the end, I was expecting Hood and Sparks to be the antagonists in subsequent books, but it looks like their storyline has been resolved. That's part of what makes me say that I see Bound as an origin story for Alex. The other things is... I feel silly for not noticing until the very end that Hood and Sparks were named for certain friends of the author's. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or headdesk (or headiPad, as the case may have been), when I realised.

Bound was an action-packed and fast-paced read with elements of moral ambiguity and horror. You could also call it a dark urban fantasy, if you were so inclined. If you are looking for a darkish and violent read, then Bound is the book for you. It's also self-contained if sequels aren't your thing. Mind you, I think I remember reading that books 2 and 3 will be out soon (like months, rather than years, apart), so there won't be a long wait until we get more of Alex and Silhouette's story, if long waits aren't your thing. I have no idea where the story might go next, but I want to find out.

3.5 / 5 stars

First published: July 2014, Voyager AU
Series: Alex Cain book 1 of 3
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Challenges: Australian Horror Reading Challenge

Short Stories, an assortment of two

In recent times I've consumed a few free-floating short stories and I thought I'd give them a quick review. Because why not. Presented in the order I read them.

Fairy Debt by Gail Carriger

"Fairy Debt" was an audio short story that I received as a perk from the Kickstarter campaign for Crudrat. Incredibly, there is a blurb on goodreads, so I include it here for your delectation (and to save me coming up with my own summary):

Cups is a fairy with a problem. She can't grow wings because is she under a death promise to a local king. So she takes service at his castle as the Least Jester, hoping to earn her wings and learns a great deal about cupcakes, tea daemons, and Earth dragons along the way.

This was an amusing tale of amusing contract shenanigans and, of course, fairies. I enjoyed it, especially the dragon. The narration wasn't my favourite, but I think I'm always going to feel that way about US-accented audiobooks. It was a fun, quirky read and a pleasant way to spend slightly longer than a car trip (it's 27 minutes long). The story and style put me in mind of some of Tansy Rayner Roberts' short stories (which I read before blogging), so if you're a fan of those (or of Splashdance Silver/Ink Black Magic), then give this one a go. If you're not into audiobooks, you can buy the ebook from SmashWords and the usual suspects. I should also note that as part of the same backer perk I have the audiobook of "Marine Biology", but I've already read it in ebook form, so I won't be listening to it. There are more coming, too, including another I haven't read, so yay.

Not the Worst of Sins by Alan Baxter

"Not the Worst of Sins" appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies 133 and I will admit up front that I read it because it made the Ditmar ballot and am not very familiar with the magazine at all. You can still (as of writing) read "Not the Worst of Sins" online here.

This is a Western horror story about a teenage boy out to chase down his father. The main character wants vengeance for his father running out on him and his mother and has teamed up with a ghost to track him down. I won't spoil the ending, of course.

Westerns aren't really my thing and the style of this one didn't really do it for me. I'm hoping I'll enjoy Baxter's upcoming novel more. The backstory with the mother "breaking" after the father left and having to go to a nun-run sanatorium didn't really sit well with me either. Nor did the complete lack of female characters, although I suspect that is primarily a symptom of the Western setting. I liked the twist at the end. Definitely give it a shot — it's not that long, after all — if it sounds like your cup of tea.

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I also read a bunch (read: all) of other Ditmar shortlistee stories, but they all belong in larger collections or anthologies which I will review here in full when I get around to finishing them. I'm currently feeling a bit stressed about my reading, so I don't want to make any predictions about when and in which order those might appear in.