Tag Archives: self published

Book Review: Ventures in Vermilion, by J.T. Thompson

I joined Your Paper Quest for a while. It’s a self and indie-published monthly book subscription. J.T. Thomson‘s Ventures in Vermilion was included in one of the boxes.

Wanted: a secretary. Must not be put off by the occasional dead body. Inquire with Mr. Istovir Holviiryn at 221B Baker Street. Salary at standard Guild rates. Lodging included.

Gnome ex-healer Seraphina “Wiz” Wistozus has only a few weeks to prove to the Adventurers Guild that she can still pay back the gold she owes them, despite the disastrous mission—her first and only—that ruined her health and magic. The Guild isn’t forgiving when it comes to matters of nonpayment, and her very freedom is at stake.

The problem is, there aren’t a lot of career opportunities for a mage healer who can no longer heal. So when a friend brings her an advertisement for a secretarial position, she’s determined to try her luck, no matter how strange the ad is. Or the work itself. Or Istovir Holviiryn, a night elf whose incredible detective skills are more than a little disconcerting.

Wiz’s life as a Guild mage healer was over almost before it began. Now she must adjust to her new situation, and fast, because this job isn’t just her best option. It’s her only option.

This was adorable. It is a Watson and Holmes retelling where Watson is a one-armed, female, ex-D&D-style adventuring gnome and Holmes is a dark or night elf. But these two are so much warmer than the original, in my opinion. The friendship that grows between them is platonic, but amazingly supportive. I loved all of the small ways Thompson found to show us meaningful moments. (I think the ever-hidden silver coin, which provided enrichment time in the apartment, was my favorite.) I will 100% be looking for more books by Thompson, and if I’m lucky, this will become a series.

Other Reviews:

Book Review: Blood Sings, by Denisa Mih

Leave a reply

I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of Denisa Mih‘s Blood Sings.

An heir…
Destined for a throne soaked in blood, Aurora Tepes must navigate the intrigues of court and the brutality of battle. As heir to the Crown Republic of Transylvania, she is bound by duty to protect her people, wielding her sharp mind and mastery of blood manipulation—no matter the sacrifice.

A century of war…
Beyond the walls, a conflict meant to be without casualties stains the hills with innocent blood while the powerful turn a blind eye.
But Aurora cannot.
Armed with the magic of her ancestry and revolutionary technology, she joins the Outliers—the oppressed, deemed inferior by the Republic—on the frontline, vowing to bring justice once she claims her crown.

A desire for more…
Dark secrets, deadly creatures, and new alliances test Aurora’s convictions as she confronts the savagery of her nature and an uncertain future that could unravel everything. But when she meets the longest-lived Outlier, a mysterious moon-haired captain whose magic holds world-changing secrets, destiny and duty collide.

This was OK. I enjoyed it well enough. I don’t regret reading it or anything. But I also felt like everything was just skimmed over or surface-level. There were time jumps in places I would expect to see what happened on-page, for example. But mostly it was just kind of the overall tone of the novel. Where I wanted to understand the complex world and multi-species intersections thoroughly, I didn’t. Where I wanted to see a relationship bloom, it just appeared on the page. I liked the characters, but I neither got to know them well nor saw much in line of character growth. And there were a lot of them to keep track of, all of whom eventually got a second set of names, which meant I only had a loose grasp of who was who.

All in all, I’d read book two if it were out. But, honestly, by the time it comes out early next year, I suspect I won’t even remember having read this one.