Spiral Tower Press’ first novella in their Keen Blades series is a very strong opener. Matt Holder has created a riveting page turner that makes you wonder:
Are we asking the right questions?
This wonderful book is a spotlight upon the notion of truth. Has the world ended? Is power a divine right? Will rhetoric change minds? Will Acre fall?
A book of 5 scenes, each confronting the bishop with an answer to a question, each a test, each an opportunity to stare at the blood staining his hand, never considering that not using them is an option.
This novella follows the bishop upon his quest, given by dreams as he journeys from the figurative hell of the fifth crusade to the literal hell beneath the shell of the earth. There the currency of use is violence and lies; which the bishop finds himself affluent. Finally, through a journey that forces him to confront the source of his own power, he arrives at a forever besieged city to track down the manuscript which has haunted his sleeping mind.
I read this over 2 plane rides while travelling, and with each page I felt that the 13th century bishop travelled further and faster than I was. If you want a Weird pairing with Oden’s White Lion, look no further, as this will deliver blood, thunder, and a quiet philosophical treatment on the nature of those who tear down and those who build.
You can pick the book up here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hurled-Headlong-Flaming-Matt-Holder/dp/B0D2ZJNMX7