The Complete Revanche Cycle Craig Schaefer Book Review

It doesn't happen oft that I read series of books one immediately after the other. And yet, that's precisely what happened with Craig Schaefer's bibliography. I devoured all of his books in ane calendar month. It's embarrassing. The author has spent thousands of hours to arts and crafts the books, develop characters and wrap-upward plotlines and I consumed them in few weeks.

And what a ride it was!

At present, It has to be said upfront that Craig Schaefer won't win a Pulitzer, but he'll sure every bit hell entertain you lot. In a loud and tearing way.

His globe, you see, is not happy. Hell is a concrete, real place. Heaven, as far every bit anyone knows, is not. The few angelic beings anyone recalls seeing are violently insane, and if there'southward any higher power out there, information technology'due south utterly silent.

All Schaefer's books are interconnected and happen in the same world, although in that location's a considerable time gap between events presented in the Revanche Cycle and his urban-fantasy series.

It'southward not necessary to read all of them to enjoy others thoroughly.

Schafer debuted in 2014 with The Long Manner Down, and he continues to publish three-four books a year since then. The man is a machine. In interviews, he admits that writing is his career of choice and he approaches it seriously. He works at least eight hours every day, Every unmarried day. This may be considering he started to publish afterwards in his life – he was twoscore when he published The Long Way Downwardly. I appreciate this kind of work ethics. Information technology's also worth noting that he develops as a writer and tries new things (by writing in slightly different genres).

Reading order

Schaefer's series can be read independently of each other. All the same, having in mind many FBC readers' genre of choice is high/low-fantasy, I'd like to propose reading his series in the following lodge:

Revanche Wheel:

Number - Title - Date of publication

1) Winter's Reach - Nov 2014

ii)  The Instruments of Command - April 2015

iii) Terms of Surrender - November 2015

4) Queen of the Night - June 2016

What a fun read! Heroes win, villains die, everybody gets a cake.

Oh, expect.

I've mistaken books.

Permit's try over again.

The Revanche Cycle is an ballsy fantasy with multiple viewpoint characters, gear up in a world reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance. The serial deals with conspiracies, political intrigue, the human relationship between church and state, how faith is used (and driveling) to shape policy. Information technology's as well near faith and culture, and overcoming the obstacles social club throws in your path. It'south a story about women. Information technology is too, as the championship hints, a story about revenge. And how a single fierce human activity, buried in the by, can take devastating global consequences.

The story is fast-paced, character-driven and well plotted. The catastrophe of the series is bold and satisfying. Also, heart-wrenching. The simply drawback I can see is the fact that none of the books works well as a standalone. As a completed series, though, it'southward criminally underread and underrated.

The story is already finished and tin can be bought in a kindle packet for $8. Bluntly, it'southward a steal.

Daniel Faust serial:

Number  Title Publication appointment

i) The Long Mode Down -July 2014

1.v)The White Gold Score - February 2016

ii) Redemption Song - June 2014

3) The Living Terminate - August 2014

4) A Plain-Dealing Villain - January 2015

five) The Killing Flooring Blues -  July 2015

6) The Castle Doctrine - September 2016

7) Double or Nothing - June 2017

8) The Neon Boneyard - April 2018

Daniel Faust is the main grapheme of the series. He's a con creative person, thief and former gangster living in the shadows of Las Vegas. Daniel uses black magic and bullets to get what he wants. He's not really a good guy. Because the story is told from his perspective and his voice is enjoyable, it's easy to forget that he tin exist stone cold killer with little mercy in his heart. He lives in a noirish world filled with characters whose morality is black or gray. He's helped past his chosen family – a group of rogues and outlaws. Each of them possesses unlike magical talents, and their force lies in cooperation and planning.

Daniel isn't a powerhouse magician. He has some tricks upwardly his sleeve, but if you like comparisons, Harry Dresden would destroy him in a fraction of a second (him and one-half of Las Vegas, the fashion Harry does). And nevertheless due to his wit, Daniel'due south able to win in impossible fights.

Did I mention that his girlfriend is a demon? You know, actual demon. From Hell. Because she is. Caitlin rocks. She can be sweet to Daniel, but she's not the one to play with unless you like your heart to exist broken. Quite literally – subsequently it's torn upwards from your ribcage. Also, Caitlin calls Daniel her pet and so if you lot're ultra-macho you may detect this reversal of relationship dynamics unsettling.

The series is loud, fast and trigger-happy. It's strongest office is characterisation. While characters aren't as developed as the ones portrayed in the Revanche Cycle, they have plenty charisma to truly similar them and cheer for them.

It's early in the series when Daniel stumbles on a "The Stop of the World equally We Know It" plot and tries to take downwardly the bad guys. The affair is bad guys are quite terrifying and their schemes remain a bit of mystery.

Harmony Black series:

Number Championship Publication date

ane) Harmony Black - February 2016

two)    Red Knight Falling - April 2016

3) Glass Predator - March 2017

4) Cold Spectrum - October 2017

The Harmony Black series is a spinoff to the Daniel Faust novels. She was introduced as Daniel'southward"adversary" (well, the thing is he's the bad guy). While she collaborated with him on few occasions like saving the world, her pet project was to see him in prison. Harmony is an FBI agent and a witch. Her spinoff series follows her adventures with her new team, working to take down occult criminals and supernatural threats all over the Us.

I must confess it took me some fourth dimension to become into the serial. Harmony is merely also damn straight. Which is funny as she'due south ready to wreak havoc and impale other people (as well those close to her) to accomplish her team goals (to be fair saving a earth is a adept goal). The stories are ordinarily fast-paced and each of the books focuses on a different Circus team member.

In Cold Spectrum they uncover a diabolical conspiracy in the highest ranks of the government, it appears that everything Harmony and her friends take worked for, fought for, and risked their lives for might be a lie. And it's the book in which I started to like Harmony as she has to deal non only with treason but besides with kind of supernatural habit that adds a little bent to her character.

In order to get all nuances and hints in the Faust and Harmony series, it'due south good to start Harmony Black after finishing A Patently-Dealing Villain and finish it before getting to Double or Null. By reading the series in this order you'll know what's the deal with i million dollar hat or why on earth would Harmony purchase a flamethrower from Winslow.

Wisdom's Grave trilogy:

Number Championship Publication date

1) Sworn to the Nighttime - Jan 2018

2)Detonation Boulevard (tentative championship) - Fall 2018

The Wisdom's Grave trilogyis Craig Schaefer 's new trilogy that's supposed to reveal a lot of secrets about the universe and, above all, my favourite characters from theRevanche Cycle. They're back in modern times to kick some ass. And I tin't expect to see where the story will go. Both Daniel Faust and Harmony Black make cameos here, and while it'due south not necessary to know their series to sympathise what's happening, it definitely helps and allows to savour nuances and hints.

Why exercise I appreciate the guy?

Outside the fact his volume brought a lot of fun and entertainment to my life, I appreciate Craig Schaefer for:

* Piece of work ethics - he treats his career and fans seriously and openly communicates his sales, writing progress and problems

* Playing a long game - y'all remember Lost and Ten-Files? It was apparent they had no idea where they were going. It was nice to follow them along the way, only none of these stories was wrapped up satisfyingly. And so far, Schaefer connects his heroes and plots in satisfying ways.

* Creating intriguing, morally cryptic characters that I like.

* Writing in different genres (and so - he develops his skills equally a writer)

* Refreshing urban fantasy scene

*---------------*---------------*---------------*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lukasz Przywoski is an avid fiction reader from Poland. Every bit a reviewer, he tries to be critical and thoroughly analyze books that he reads. As a result, he rarely gives 5 stars ratings - he reserves them to books that feel special. Autonomously from being keen on reading and inhabiting imaginary worlds, his biggest passion is the science of movement and motility in multiple forms. Life without sport and books wouldn't be worth living.

While fantasy is his favourite genre, he tends to read pretty broadly and is ever eager to effort new things.

Favourite authors: Terry Pratchett, Jim Butcher, Marker Lawrence, Craig Schaefer, Seth Skorkowsky, Matt Suddain and many others.. He'south as well active on r/fantasy equally barb4ry1.

varneywatints.blogspot.com

Source: http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2018/06/author-appreciation-craig-schaefer-by.html

Share this post