 |
| Exiles: A Tale from the Chronicles of Magnus by Miles Watson |
BOOKS PROMOTED FOR
Coffee and Thorn Book Tours
 |
| https://coffeeandthorn.com/ X/Twitter @CoffeeAndThorn |
 |
| Welcome to my Blog! Wander through worlds real and fictional, meet interesting people, visit exciting places and find good books to enjoy along the way! |
 |
| About the Book |
Exiles: A Tale from the Chronicles of Magnus by Miles Watson
Genre: historical fantasy
Print length: 169 pages (56K words)
Age range: This is an adult book but suitable for mature older teenagers
Trigger warnings: violent deaths
Amazon rating: not yet published
In an alternative history, Europe is ruled by a suffocating bureaucracy that restricts technology and robs its citizens of both past and future, offering only an endless now. The Order has survived wars, famines, strikes and revolutions without flinching… but now a common tramp, a disillusions smuggler and a mercenary with a lust for power will join forces and set in motion events that will shake this faceless tyranny to its foundations, and usher in a new age of empire. The rise of Magnus Antonius Magnus begins here…
Exiles stands alone, but is also a prequel to Miles Watson’s novella, Deus Ex.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Miles Watson holds undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and History and a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction, and served in law enforcement for nearly ten years before moving to Los Angeles, where he has worked on over 200 episodes of television and half a dozen feature films. But his first and last passion is writing.
 |
| My review |
In an alternate reality, Europe is ruled by a suffocating bureaucracy that restricts technology and robs its citizens of both past and future, offering only an endless now. The Order has survived survived wars, famines, strikes and revolutions without flinching...but today a common tramp, a disillusioned smuggler and a mercenary with a lust for power will join forces and set in motion events that will shake this faceless tyranny to its foundations, and usher in a new age of empire. The rise of Magnus Antonius Magnus begins here....
I'll be honest, I'm not sure what to make of Exiles, and I can't decide if I liked it or not - it has me puzzled. (But is that, perhaps, the author's intention?) The blurb above, taken from Amazon, doesn't seem to fit the book, or have I missed a point somewhere?
The story starts with Marguerite Bain, captain of the Sea Dragon. She is obviously a mentally damaged individual, well capable of looking after herself and very much her own person. It is also obvious from the outset that this is no ordinary ship in no ordinary, familiar world. So far, so good.
Marguerite is a smuggler, and she has been commissioned to do a specific job: take a cargo to a remote island and leave it there after removing the 'empties' of a previous delivery.
Someone is marooned, exiled on the island and Marguerite disobeys orders by being curious to discover who it is and why he is there. No spoilers, I'll not divulge how she does this, or who the exile is, or why the entire story is happening in the first place because I partly feel that other readers might understand the plot more than I did, and this is a story that gradually unfolds, until you're not quite sure what is the truth and what isn't - what is a story and what isn't.
My fault, I suspect, that I got lost with who was who, and what was happening and why, probably because I am not really 'into' this genre of storytelling. I did find the 'story' of the exile to be, (and my apologies to the author) somewhat tedious after a while, page after page of 'me, me, me'. I very soon disliked the character, and I would have exiled him myself quite happily for being a total bore. But stick with it, it is part of the plot.
Marguerite I liked, the Sea Dragon I liked, the sailing detail I liked, (very clever and imaginative!) The alternative reality I liked... I just didn't understand what was going on, or why.
This might, however, not entirely be down to me? Exiles is supposed to be a standalone, but it is also the backstory for Miles Watson’s earlier book Deus Ex, which I have not read - perhaps this novella is not as much of a standalone as the author intended? Without reading the other book I couldn't really say, but this might explain why I got lost somewhere along the way?
I am inhibited by visual impairment, which makes for slow reading so novels where the emphasis is on concentration in order to negotiate the twists, turns and cleverly hidden labyrinths are, sadly, not quite for me any more.
Even so, for readers who enjoy unravelling puzzles, this one should suit well, so I'll give Exiles 4 stars for that and for the high level of imagination and because I loved the ship.
**** 4 stars
COFFEE AND THORN PROMOTES QUALITY FICTION, FOCUSING ON WORK PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY OR THROUGH SMALL PUBLISHING HOUSES. WE WORK WITH LOVE. ALL PAYMENTS TO US GO DIRECTLY TO FUND EDUCATION FOR GIRLS FROM A SLUM COMMUNITY IN SIERRA LEONE.
AUTHOR’S AWARDS
Miles Watson is one of the most successful independent writers of his generation. . His various works have won the following:
CAGE LIFE
Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Runner Up (2016):
Zealot Script Magazine “Book of the Year” (2017);
Best Indie Book Award – Mystery & Suspense (2018)
KNUCKLE DOWN
Writer’s Digest S.P.B.A.Honorable Mention (2019);
Best Indie Book Award – Suspense (2019)
DEVILS YOU KNOW
Eric Hoffer Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing Finalist (2019)
THE NUMBERS GAME
Pinnacle Book Achievement Award – Novella – (2019)
NOSFERATU
Pinnacle Book Achievement Award – Novella – (2020)
SINNER’S CROSS
Best Indie Book Award – Historical Fiction – (2019);
Book Excellence Award – Action (2020);
Literary Titan Book Award – Gold Medal (2020);
Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards – Finalist (2020);
Readers’ Favorite Five Stars (2021)
Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal (2023)
THE VERY DEAD OF WINTER
Literary Titan Book Award – Gold Medal (2022);
Pinnacle Book Achievement Award (2022);
Book Excellence Award Finalist (2023)
*** ***
You might also like
books written by Helen Hollick
Website: https://helenhollick.net/
Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
.jpg)
The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteries
set in the 1970s
*
The SEA WITCH VOYAGES
nautical adventures set during the Golden Age of Piracy
*
THE SAXON SERIES
 |
| The story of the events that led to The Battle of Hastings in 1066 Harold the King (UK edition) I Am The Chosen King (US edition) 1066 Turned Upside Down an anthology of 'What If'' tales |
 |
| The Forever Queen (US edition) a USA TODAY BESTSELLER A Hollow Crown (UK edition) |
*
KING ARTHUR
The Pendragon's Banner Trilogy
The Boy Who became a Man:
Who became a King:
Who became a Legend...
 |
THE PENDRAGON's BANNER TRILOGY |
 |
| US editions |
*
 |
Historical Stories of Exile by 13 popular authors |
Cryssa Bazos, Anna Belfrage, Elizabeth Chadwick, Cathie Dunn, J.G. Harlond,
Helen Hollick, Loretta Livingstone, Amy Maroney Alison Morton,
Charlene Newcomb, Elizabeth St.John, Marian L Thorpe, Annie Whitehead.
With an introduction by Deborah Swift
*
 |
| Amazon: FREE ebook! |
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 | |
|
*
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for leaving a comment - it should appear soon. If you are having problems, contact me on author AT helenhollick DOT net and I will post your comment for you. That said ...SPAMMERS or rudeness will be composted or turned into toads.
Helen