This riveting tale deftly and entertainingly blends history with a handful of genres.
A 16th-century conquistador’s hunt for gold leads him to an otherworldly place in Strasser’s historical novel.
Capitán Cristóbal de Varga left Spain to find a fortune. It’s apparently not in Machu Picchu, which he and an army of 600 conquistadors stormed, only to discover a small pile of gold. Nobleman Huarcay promises to take the conquistadors to Incan emperor Manco Inca and his ample store of gold in a hidden city. Months later, they stumble upon a “shimmering curtain” through which anyone passing disappears, at least as far as witnesses can tell. Cristóbal and his soldiers enter a strange world under a crimson sky, which they name Nueva Tierra. They immediately realize that the way they came in isn’t the way out, so they focus on their search for gold and fully anticipate running into Manco Inca’s army. They instead face the ñakaqs, “hair-covered mountain-dwellers” who, according to Huarcay, are vicious cannibals. Though a battle seems inevitable, Cristóbal realizes that a peaceful discourse is possible, especially since the ñakaqs speak the Incan language of Quechua, which Cristóbal knows. A padre among the conquistadors is convinced these Nueva Tierra locals are demons, but Cristóbal isn’t so sure. Things get even more complicated with the arrival of yet another group, who hate the ñakaqs and whose very existence makes this strange red-skyed world seem all the more peculiar. Meanwhile, Cristóbal falls in love with and wishes to marry Huarcay’s princess sister, Sarpay. She reluctantly grows fond of him, though a betrayal may stifle their potential relationship.
Strasser wisely zeroes in on the diverse cast, which perfectly suits this wide-ranging story. For example, Lt. Héctor Valiente, a freed African slave who’d worked copper mines in Hispaniola, finds it hard to get respect from his fellow conquistadors, despite his rank. Characters engage in theological discussions; Sarpay reminds Cristóbal that the Incas’ belief in more than one god is far removed from his Christian faith. Other notable characters include Tagón, a red-bearded ñakaq who aims to prove his people aren’t demons, and Ithilia, whose startling first appearance is best left unspoiled. As the cast gradually expands, the narrative subtly addresses such topics as race, prejudices based solely on physical traits, and the question of who is truly indigenous. There are quite a few moments of combat and many bloody turns, though the author favors edgy, tightly written scenes over excessive violence: “Despite their heavy losses, though, they continued to surge, forcing the conquistadors to retreat toward the cannons… Foot soldiers entered the fray, and the battle became close-quarter combat, with the clash of Toledo blade on ñakaq horca ringing through the air.” Along with the historical angle and the SF-adjacent dimensional portal, the story touches on elements of fantasy as well. This could certainly serve as a stand-alone novel, even if there’s plenty of material for a sequel or spinoff. Strasser states that he based the narrative on Cristóbal’s real-life, English-translated diary from a Peruvian museum’s archive; excerpts from the journal intermittently appear as brief chapters.
This riveting tale deftly and entertainingly blends history with a handful of genres.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781803416038
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Roundfire Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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