11/29/2023 0 Comments Erebus novel![]() ![]() "One of the things which I particularly enjoyed about this novel was how direct the narrative was, making it so easy to fall into the story. Readers finishing this first installment will very likely want to read another.Ī gripping and well-constructed tale of first contact in a future Antarctica. Keltyn’s slow integration into this tribal setting ultimately comes across as convincingly human. The differences between the explorers and the tribe members are shown to run much deeper than their respective levels of technology, and both depictions are refreshingly free of condescension. Instead, he’s very adept at keeping his main characters distinct and individually compelling. ![]() By cannily adapting the usual SF first-contact idea to a Balkanized future in which resource scarcity has advanced societies sharing the planet with Iron Age nomadic tribes, he’s able to forego a good deal of the worldbuilding that can make such narratives tedious. Westhoff orchestrates this fairly standard SF quest plot with a great deal of narrative skill. The story that gradually unfolds is predominantly a detailed study of the inner workings of a tribal society that has fallen away from the increasingly insular technological world. The tribe has its own uses for iridium, and various internal treacheries and outside forces may be manipulating both groups toward unknown ends. The novel’s main narrative strand follows the adventures of Canadian geologist Keltyn SparrowHawk, one team member, as she comes to know Luz and Joaquin and their people. This expedition, financed by a duplicitous oligarch, has been sent in search of the precious metal iridium. The primitive pattern of their existence is interrupted when a scientific party from the outside world (the “Sky-Bornes,” in tribal parlance) crash-lands on nearby Mount Erebus. Readers who enjoy dark tales with imaginative supernatural worlds and well conceived lore will find Grasp of Erebus a stimulating novel and a fantastic start to a series.An unlikely group of teammates hunts for a precious metal in a climate-ravaged future era.Īs this first entry of Westhoff’s SF series gets underway, readers are introduced to Joaquin Beltran and Luz Hogarth, two young members of a horse-wrangling tribe of nomadic Onwei people contending with the resource-deprived world of 24th-century ice-free Antarctica. I was enthralled by the nightmarish mystery at the heart of this story. This is a riveting occult horror story that consistently builds tension and conveys a sense of fear in a way that feels more intriguing than terrifying. I think the progression and understanding of Tom’s prime empath powers would not have flowed as effortlessly and would have lacked structure in the storyline without his presence. Ben was the much-needed bridge between the chaos his function as the seed for unravelling the truth was pivotal in the success of this novel. They are all easy to keep track of as they are all given a distinct feel. ![]() Readers will encounter a diverse cast of characters throughout this dark fantasy novel. This places the reader into the same panic Tom is experiencing by being unable to control these out-of-body travels. I was fascinated by the way fear of the unknown is explored in the story and the interesting ways it manifests on the page.Īlthough the first third of the book feels a bit frantic and is a blend of the conscious and unconscious mind, it adds as a complex layer to this story that is ultimately intriguing. I really enjoyed the slow evolution of each character and the deep lore that is methodically laid out. As Tom makes his way through the workings of the Shadow Cult and its members, one thing is certain: he is both a gift and a curse to Shadow Creatures and they intend to harvest Tom for his power.Īuthor Sebastian Dax’s character development is a highlight of this thrilling novel. But as Tom’s empathic capabilities continue to expand dramatically, even he isn’t entirely sure what to make of his experiences and everything seems to be pushing him towards services offered by The Clinic. Tom and his mother never imagined that his nightmares were anything more than horrible visions of violence caused by some unknown ailment. It begins with a premonition by John, the main character’s father, and within the very first chapters there is an uncanny similarity to what is about to unfold in Tom’s own life. Grasp of Erebus is the first book of The Devan Prodigy series by Sebastian Dax. ![]()
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