Author and publisher Russell Newquist reviews my new novella, They Hymn of the Pearl:
Last Friday, an unexpected gift appeared in my e-mail inbox: Brian Niemeier’s new novella, Hymn of the Pearl. Full disclosure: in case you didn’t guess from the previous sentence, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. As a longtime friend, this flew straight to the top of my reading list.
Unlike most of Brian’s previous work, this one is short. It’s also a quick, easy read. Given my current schedule, I liked that. Other readers might find it disappointing. Then again, at $2.99 its price reflects that.
Brian’s use of fate as the mechanic for a magical system utterly fascinated me. Given how much fantasy work is out there that I haven’t read, this may not be truly original. But it was new to me, and I really enjoyed it. It drew me in and left me with a lot of unanswered questions. The author, however, clearly understood the system and had it all mapped out. That made it function well in practice.
Even more, the interplay between the two competing “classes” of wizards made for some interesting thought. It carried the weight of an honest religious argument, but without the baggage of real world religions to bog it down.
The author also skillfully weaves personal character struggles with sweeping political entanglements, and the threat of an actual war hangs over everything.
This book kept me fascinated from the beginning. If you’re a fan of Brian’s earlier works, you’ll definitely enjoy it. If you haven’t read his others, Hymn of the Pearl is a great place to start. Highly recommended. 5 out of 5 stars.
Thanks to friends and readers like Russell, The Hymn of the Pearl has already recouped its production costs and is earning for me as we speak.
The far superior ROI is just one major advantage of indie over tradpub. You can hear me discuss the indie vs. tradpub question in depth with author John Del Arroz on the latest episode of Geek Gab: On the Books.
And don’t forget: my third thrilling Soul Cycle novel The Secret Kings is free right now through my newsletter. Claim your free copy here.
When you’re done reading The Secret Kings, or if you’ve already enjoyed it, please nominate it for Best Science Fiction Novel in the 2017 Dragon Awards. You won’t be alone. Many indie and PulpRev writers, including Jon and Russell, have already endorsed it.
