Black Sea Gods
(Book 1 of the Chronicles of Fu Xi)
by Brian Braden
This epic fantasy raises the bar for Historical Fantasy to new heights.
I usually know after reading the first paragraph whether or not I will like a book. With Black Sea Gods, I knew after the first sentence that the writing itself would be good. Well, I was wrong. It is GREAT!
The story is pure fantasy that is not bogged down by still disputed ancient timelines, nor even real places. Yet I "smelled" the salt-water marshes, "saw" the homes tilting above the lagoon, "heard" the incoming tide rush against the pilings, and kept worrying about the fate of the Lo-tribe.
Interestingly, there are two different story-lines: One follows the arduous journey of an intrepid people; the other, the Chronicles of Fu Xi, tells of the birth, death and re-birthing of the gods. The marvel is how the two are fused into an "Aha-moment."
Black Sea Gods is a novel to be enjoyed on several levels: For the sensitivity and beauty of the writing itself (I still demand that in what I choose to read); for the astounding imagination it took to write a story of those early tribes and gods (with the initial unfamiliarity about names quickly being overcome); and lastly for the vivid descriptions.
Writing historical fiction myself, I often stopped to ask myself "how did the writer come up with this?" And then I had to check that, indeed, this is written by a male author (sorry guys, but it is that delicately sensitive in places, yet so vividly strong in others, with some brutal scenes thrown in).
A resounding "Highly Recommended."
Brian Braden is a founder and assistant editor for Underground Book Reviews www.undergroundbookreviews.com, an online magazine featuring the best new indie lit.
He is also the author of the novelette CARSON'S LOVE, and a contributor to FLYING TOASTERS, an anthology of short stories.
He can be reached at brian_l_braden@yahoo.com
or
you can visit his website at www.blackseagods.com
Also,
Check out Brian's FB page for his plans of a grand launch of Book 2 of the Chronicles of Fu Xi:
Tears of the Dead
There will be games, prizes, and gift books by many participating writers.
