Joanna and I have been blogging and writing buddies for a frightening number of years and I have always enjoyed her blog, Sorcery, Swords and Snark, where her artistic talent and engaging personality shines through. She has been working on By the Pact for a while – and I was excited to hear that she was finally publishing it this January, so obviously scampered over to scoop up a copy.
BLURB: High mages lied: Veranesh, the demon who destroyed the continent is still alive. And it’s up to their former student to expose the truth—even if it means another Cataclysm.
When Kamira, a once high mage student turned arcanist, discovers an imprisoned demon in underground ruins, she is forced into a pact that grants her powerful magic, but also ties her to the very demon that once devastated the continent… and Veranesh wants his freedom.
With one friend by her side, Veelk, a mage killer bound on protecting her, Kamira will have to outwit the archmages, other demons, and possibly her own demonic benefactor to survive. Her chances are slim, but with Veelk’s ever-present sarcastic repartee, Kamira might just pull through.
Plots and schemes, power and means—sometimes the price for victory is choosing which friend will die, but when you only have one friend, the choice is… easy?
REVIEW: I’ll be honest, it can be tricky business when a fellow writer, blogger and friend produces their first book and I open it. Because… what if I don’t enjoy it all that much? Worse – what if the reason why I don’t enjoy it all that much is because the writing isn’t any good? It quickly became apparent that all those worries were entirely superfluous. I quickly bonded with prickly, wary Kamira as she copes with a highly dangerous situation in the opening scene. Then forgot I was reading a friend’s book and became immersed in the story.
This could so easily have been a rather grim, unrelenting tale of vengeance and bloody murder, as old scores are settled and the demons involved – being demons – aren’t forgiving, compassionate types. However, throughout this adventure we have the strong friendship between Kamira and Veelk that mostly runs on snark and teasing – I liked the fact that their relationship isn’t a romantic one, rather a brother/sister bond. Both are charismatic characters, with a varied, eventful backstory and both are capable at looking after each other. They are also good at handling trouble – just as well, really – because the pair of them are disaster magnets.
While the strong characterisation and relationship between the two main protagonists sets the tone, ensuring there is always the fun of their interchanges in amongst the battle scenes and magical mayhem, there is also the wider story. I particularly enjoyed the magic system in this world. It makes complete sense and accounts for the presence of demons, as well as providing the historical backdrop – with the inevitable winners and losers and giving Kamira a solid reason for walking away from the more reputable career that had once been lined up for her.
Any niggles? Well I was a bit taken aback, when I turned another page – only to find I’d reached the end of the book, because while the initial narrative arc was satisfactorily dealt with, there are a handful of other plotpoints that have been left dangling. However, I am reassured on learning that the next book in the series, Scars of Stone, is due out later in the year. Highly recommended for fans of sand and sorcery fantasy.
9/10
Brainfluff 