Superb book! Culture differences via language? What a great idea! ( )

This was a well balanced fantasy tale where the author the only fault I could find might be with the pacing in places. The story opens with a clan of raiders [aka vikings] fleeing the subjugation of a growing [malevolent] power back home and landing at a coastal backwater outpost of a large and powerful [and somewhat decadent Holy Romanesque] empire. After narrowly avoiding potentially genocidal conflict on the beach with a well timed betrayal, we get to the main plot ... can two disparate groups learn to get along to face the coming dangers together ... and they are huge. The demon leader of the clans has sent his minions in pursuit of the raiders and the Imperial Marshall is just as likely to wipe out this little social experiment once he hears about it.

The author does an awesome job manufacturing little points of conflict by exploring social differences and norms with the obvious solution being the new hybrid community needs to take the best of both worlds (from the author's POV). I found the flash-points to be very relatable and the resolutions to be believable (mostly) and that certainly helped move the plot along driven primarily by two main POV (the leader of the raiders and the leader of the town). While a fair amount of the plot might be predicable, I generally always felt that the author COULD have gone different ways in several situations, and it was fun to try and guess which way the story would go (no real big surprises through if you like those).

The other POV seem to be there for world building and setting the stage for the big finish at the end of the series (fortunately we do see a conclusion to the main plot of this book ... so the story stands on its own should you not wish to continue). If you don't enjoy the world building, the story may drag a bit with these other POVs, but I was so intrigue by the movement of all of the chessmen here that I really liked it ... I am looking forward to reading the sequel.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#TheBlackCoast #NetGalley ( )

One of the things that authors love about fantasy and science fiction is that they can introduce new dynamics into a story without having to conform to the norms and strictures of existing society. In my review of The Left Hand of Darkness, I expressed doubt that Ursula K. Le Guin was a science fiction writer, saying “I suspect that she is really a sociologist who writes about how people interact in societies, using imaginary distant worlds as the medium by which she explores how her subjects react in a given situation.” Written in 1969, when the concept of gender dysphoria was in its infancy, LDoH successfully managed to discuss gender identity without creating a controversy.

In the first book of a new series, Mike Brooks is using the same tactics to again address gender identity. As with Le Guin, readers can easily read and enjoy this story without focusing on gender issues, but for those who want more meat in their fiction, Brooks delivers.

The story has two distinct story lines. In the first, Tjakorshan raiders (think Vikings) land their ships near Black Keep, a Naridan village (think England) causing panic until the Tjakorshan chieftain explains that they are not there to plunder. They only wish to settle. Fearing that if they refuse, they would all be slaughtered, The Naridans grudgingly agree. The social dynamics between these two peoples makes this story a lot of fun to read. What is most interesting is that when disagreements occur, they do not happen in the way that most readers will expect. The staunchly religious Naridans thought nothing of same sex relationships but thought of women practicing the healing arts as witches. The pagan Tjakorshan, on the other hand, considered homosexual relationships an abomination that should be punished harshly. Is it possible for populations so different to coexist peacefully? There is only one way to find out.

In the other story line, assassins are sent to kill a potential claimant to the God-King’s throne. In this country, there are four genders, based on both biology and self-identification, which known by the accent over the words ‘shè’, ‘shé’, ‘hè’ and ‘hé’. It’s an intriguing idea that suggests that the differences between peoples can be simultaneously slight and consequential.

Bottom line: I thoroughly enjoyed this book although I found the chapters set in Black Keep more entertaining. I look forward to reading future volumes in this series.

* This review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.s
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire. ( )

Summary: Former enemies seek refuge with the people of Black Keep against a backdrop of political infighting, intrigue around the succession of the God-King, and the rise of a sinister power.

The sight of the ships stirred alarm among the Naridans living in Black Keep. Decimated by plague and remember the last visit of the Tjakorsha raiders, they prepare for a desperate fight. Then leaders of the Tjakorsha come ahead under a flag of parley. Lord Asrel and his sons Darel and Daimon come to meet them. Saana Sattistutar, the woman warrior leading the clan doesn’t propose surrender, but rather peaceful co-existence of their two peoples. Asrel breaks the truce of the parley in striking out against the Tjalkorsha. Slaughter and a war resulting in the likely defeat of the Naridans is averted by Daimon, Asrel’s adopted son, who takes charge, imprisoning his brother and father.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this book, the first in The God-King Chronicles, are the encounter of these two peoples, two cultures with two differing religions, two differing moral codes. The Tjakorsha have men and women who only mate with each other. The Naridans have six shades of gender between any two of which sex is acceptable. Yet Narida is patriarchal while Tjakorsha’s women lead and fight alongside men. Are their differences too great for co-existence to be possible.

Daimon and Saana try to work out their differences, against a backdrop of other events that could change their world. Conspirators from Black Creek send an emissary to report on the blasphemous alliance of the two peoples, with the objects of bringing a force of Naridans who could end up wiping out both peoples, except for the conspirators. Then their are the concerns of the family of the God-King. Natan, the current God-King loves men, and has no successor. His sister is far more Machiavellian than he, recognizing the threat of the Splinter King, and acts to remove it while a rich young man becomes romantically involved with the thief who had picked his pocket. The most sinister of all is the demonic tyrant, The Golden, who subjected all the Tjakorsha except for Saana’s clan, who fled. His lieutenant, Rikkut is sent with a large force after her, another threat to Saana’s people and those of the Black Keep.

This book caught me by surprise. It started out with Natan and Tila which was kind of ho-hum until the scene shifts to the confrontation of those of the Black Keep and the Tjakorsha. For a while it was hard to keep all the different characters and plotlines straight, and then it started making sense and I found myself getting more and more drawn into the world Brooks was building. Then there are the war dragons and the kraiks, sea monsters that threaten every voyage! The cultures, the creatures, the characters, and the plot all come together to make this a page-turner. Even secondary characters like Darel or Saana’s daughter Zhanna are interesting and play crucial roles.

Dang, another series to follow! But this looks to be a good one.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )

I have not read anything by Mike Brooks before, but when I saw this book floating around social media, I was intrigued and subsequently grateful to receive an eARC from NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing.

Driven out of their lands by a daemon known only as The Golden, the Tjakorshi -- lead by their female chief, Saana Sattistutar -- made the treacherous voyage across the seas to Narida, specifically to Black Keep, a land they had raided many times before. When seeking parlay, Daimon Blackcreek betrays his law father and law brother -- and his own honor -- to attempt something unthinkable: peace, between his people and those of Tjakorsha. Elsewhere in Narida, war is brewing as the God-King's rule is threatened by the Splinter King and his family, and with rumors that Nari (the first God-King) has been reborn.

The main storyline in The Black Coast follows Daimon Blackcreek (of Narida) and Saana Sattistutar (from Tjakorsha) as their people try to make peace. I think the author did a really good job of capturing potential issues that might arise from years of contention between two seemingly-disparate people and cultures, and how they might work together. The rest of the plot didn't take up near as much page-time, but it did set up really nicely a lot of future plot arcs in the subsequent books in this series.

As an epic fantasy, and the first in a trilogy to boot, it did take a little to get into the flow of the story, but that's just because there's SO MUCH detail the author put into world-building -- providing distinctive cultures for the peoples of the land, crafting a plethora of believable characters, war dragons, etc. -- it was, understandably, a little overwhelming at first. But once I got into a rhythm, the story flew by and felt more natural.

I also really liked the inclusivity and LQBTQA+ rep in this book. There were many queer characters present in this book, and it was (mostly) treated as the norm with no one blinking an eye, which I think is so important. Another important aspect set out in the beginning was the idea of gender in Alaba: "Alabans claim that concepts of 'man' and 'woman' do not apply, and insist they have either five or six genders, depending on how they are counted", and their tonal variations on "me" depend on whether they wish to be perceived as high masculine, low masculine, high feminine, low feminine, gender-neutral formal, or as no gender. There were scenes that emphasized the idea of not misgendering anyone before knowing for certain their preferences, and it was something that I thought was really great, especially in epic fantasy.

There was just something about this book that felt...refreshing. Now I can't wait for the next books in this series...

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )