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GnomeSaga #1
Rough Magick
Niksabella the gnome has tinkered in the shadows for years, developing an invention that might change the world, even if she doesn’t know it yet. She has few friends and even fewer allies in the city of Hightower, where social and academic status is quite important.
Her brother, Nikselpik, is a cantankerous wizard who drinks too much, sings dirty songs, and makes rude passes at gnomestresses. A dark addiction consumes him, a habit called bugging, which gives him increased power and feelings of euphoria while pushing him closer to death.
Dark creatures from the ultraworlds have come calling. Niksabella must fight to protect her life and her invention, while Nikselpik engages the enemy as an unlikely guest of Hightower’s military elite. Niksabella and Nikselpik must find their true powers together, or perish apart. Will they heal the wounds of their childhood before it's too late?
Book one of debut fantasy author Kenny Soward's GnomeSaga series. Note: This listing is for the extended 2nd edition release through Ragnarok Publications.
Her brother, Nikselpik, is a cantankerous wizard who drinks too much, sings dirty songs, and makes rude passes at gnomestresses. A dark addiction consumes him, a habit called bugging, which gives him increased power and feelings of euphoria while pushing him closer to death.
Dark creatures from the ultraworlds have come calling. Niksabella must fight to protect her life and her invention, while Nikselpik engages the enemy as an unlikely guest of Hightower’s military elite. Niksabella and Nikselpik must find their true powers together, or perish apart. Will they heal the wounds of their childhood before it's too late?
Book one of debut fantasy author Kenny Soward's GnomeSaga series. Note: This listing is for the extended 2nd edition release through Ragnarok Publications.
340 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
18 people are currently reading
1605 people want to read
About the author
Kenny Soward
80books160followersWelcome to my little space out on the web. I'm Kenny Soward, and I'm an author, musician, and once IT guy. I write books in many sub-genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy, including post-apocalyptic, military science fiction, epic fantasy, and horror. I'm influenced by authors such as Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling, Mark Lawrence, Dan Simmons, Robin Hobb, Robert McCammon, Larry Correia, and Mike Kraus.
I love all kinds of movies and shows from Battle Star Galactica (reboot) to the Walking Dead. There's nothing I won't try.
I grew up in Kentucky in a small suburb just south of Cincinnati, Ohio, listening to hard rock and playing outdoors. In those quiet 1970's streets, I jumped bikes, played Nerf football, and came away with many scars.
My grandfather and many of my uncles and cousins served in the United States Military, and my father was a Kentucky State Trooper. Their efforts taught me the meaning of sacrifice and gratitude. I've always had an avid curiosity about the world around me, and I hope my enthusiasm for life carries over into my stories, even the dark ones.
I love all kinds of movies and shows from Battle Star Galactica (reboot) to the Walking Dead. There's nothing I won't try.
I grew up in Kentucky in a small suburb just south of Cincinnati, Ohio, listening to hard rock and playing outdoors. In those quiet 1970's streets, I jumped bikes, played Nerf football, and came away with many scars.
My grandfather and many of my uncles and cousins served in the United States Military, and my father was a Kentucky State Trooper. Their efforts taught me the meaning of sacrifice and gratitude. I've always had an avid curiosity about the world around me, and I hope my enthusiasm for life carries over into my stories, even the dark ones.
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April 23, 2023I've been deeply unfair to this book. It's taken me 8 weeks to read and I broke off in the middle to read the entirety of Peter V Brett's doorstopper The Skull Throne (as I was due to meet Peat on his visit to Bristol). So anything I might have to say about pacing etc should be taken with several pinches of salt.
The first thing to say is that Kenny Soward has a some decent writing tools in his bag: he writes strong description and has imagination. Rough Magick took me into fresh territory with its gnomes, a varied lot with some of the jovial bumptiousness of hobbits, a lot of inventive tinkering skills more in line with dwarves (actually I was reminded of the animated film Robots), some internal politics and corruption, and a hard edge to them when pushed.
There are monsters, both good and bad, all well done. The baddies are nice and revolting, with head-hugger vibes a la Half-Life and Aliens, and a dash of Christopher Rowley's The Military Form (obscure sci-fi you should read).
The first half of the story has some pacing issues. The second half took off with more action, more excitement, and more emotional involvement.
Our two points of view are brother and sister, one whose name starts Niksa- the other Nikse- ... which doesn't help much with recognition.
The battles, both magical and physical, were inventive.
The weaker points for me were the dialogue (often clunky), the internal musings (which came out as lines of commentary and was often distinguishable from dialogue only by hunting for the lack of "" marks, and the relationship between the two siblings which was almost there, and certainly rich in character, but didn't quite hang together / feel real to me. There are inconsistencies between the two points of view that I'm sure are deliberate but never seem to resolve, leaving me with a lingering 'huh?'.
There were also quite a few typos and lines that didn't make sense that slipped past the edit.
Having said all that - it's a book with thing to enjoy in it and a story that has places to go in book 2.
To return to the positives: it's a fresh story with things to enjoy and if you have enough of the buttons it pushes then it could be good.
.
The first thing to say is that Kenny Soward has a some decent writing tools in his bag: he writes strong description and has imagination. Rough Magick took me into fresh territory with its gnomes, a varied lot with some of the jovial bumptiousness of hobbits, a lot of inventive tinkering skills more in line with dwarves (actually I was reminded of the animated film Robots), some internal politics and corruption, and a hard edge to them when pushed.
There are monsters, both good and bad, all well done. The baddies are nice and revolting, with head-hugger vibes a la Half-Life and Aliens, and a dash of Christopher Rowley's The Military Form (obscure sci-fi you should read).
The first half of the story has some pacing issues. The second half took off with more action, more excitement, and more emotional involvement.
Our two points of view are brother and sister, one whose name starts Niksa- the other Nikse- ... which doesn't help much with recognition.
The battles, both magical and physical, were inventive.
The weaker points for me were the dialogue (often clunky), the internal musings (which came out as lines of commentary and was often distinguishable from dialogue only by hunting for the lack of "" marks, and the relationship between the two siblings which was almost there, and certainly rich in character, but didn't quite hang together / feel real to me. There are inconsistencies between the two points of view that I'm sure are deliberate but never seem to resolve, leaving me with a lingering 'huh?'.
There were also quite a few typos and lines that didn't make sense that slipped past the edit.
Having said all that - it's a book with thing to enjoy in it and a story that has places to go in book 2.
To return to the positives: it's a fresh story with things to enjoy and if you have enough of the buttons it pushes then it could be good.
.
February 22, 2016
Gnomes are one of the most overlooked of fantasy races, probably because they’re small and insignificant in the wider world. Well, these gnomes aren’t. They possess deadly magic and the cunning to use it to their advantage. A completely original fantasy world has been created by this author and it is completely believable. A Gnomish society and a sense of racial oneness have been evoked in this book: I really enjoyed reading about a race that I’ve not seen many interpretations of. Fantasy is littered with dwarves, elves and orcs; it is refreshing to experience a different race for a change.
The two protagonists of this book are very charming. Nickabella Nur is a tinker of arcane technology. She has been expelled by the guild of mages and their cohorts. Privately and obsessively she still works on her secret invention. An invention she believes will change the world. Her brother, Nikselpik, is a wizard whom is often overlooked. His power is hidden behind the image of a drunken fool and a drug addict. Not even he seems to realise his full potential as a mage.
The relationship between the two is tenuous at the best of times; this is due to family history that is not thoroughly explained in this book. In this the author has provided reason enough for me to read the next instalment. In addition, Niksabella’s invention has wider implications than she imagined. Other characters and races are drawn to it. They want to harness its power: some for benevolent reasons, others for their own desire. This results in a plot that is full of suspense and excitement.
The descriptions of the battle scenes in this book are vivid; the action is very fast and brutal. The antagonistic witch is described superbly:
“The witch emerged, limping and slewing on a slowly spreading pool of crud. Bone protruded from the top of her right thigh. Her left arm was gone at the shoulder, and fluid leaked from the wound in weak pulses. Her head was bent at an impossible angle over her right shoulder, her nose crushed into a flat nub of flesh, and her dress hung at the collarbone, exposing a mauled hollow where her breast used to be. Yet her eyes bulged with malice.�
This description is very ominous and really quite brilliant. In the whole novel this description stood out the most to me. The author is very effective at evoking the image of characters and especially when they’re in combat.
Overall this is a solid 3.5 stars. The author has created a unique fantasy with exciting characters, but the pacing of the novel is disjointed in places. However, I did thoroughly enjoy this book and would strongly recommend it to any fantasy enthusiast who wants something a little bit different form the standard archetype.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review, here, on goodreads.
The two protagonists of this book are very charming. Nickabella Nur is a tinker of arcane technology. She has been expelled by the guild of mages and their cohorts. Privately and obsessively she still works on her secret invention. An invention she believes will change the world. Her brother, Nikselpik, is a wizard whom is often overlooked. His power is hidden behind the image of a drunken fool and a drug addict. Not even he seems to realise his full potential as a mage.
The relationship between the two is tenuous at the best of times; this is due to family history that is not thoroughly explained in this book. In this the author has provided reason enough for me to read the next instalment. In addition, Niksabella’s invention has wider implications than she imagined. Other characters and races are drawn to it. They want to harness its power: some for benevolent reasons, others for their own desire. This results in a plot that is full of suspense and excitement.
The descriptions of the battle scenes in this book are vivid; the action is very fast and brutal. The antagonistic witch is described superbly:
“The witch emerged, limping and slewing on a slowly spreading pool of crud. Bone protruded from the top of her right thigh. Her left arm was gone at the shoulder, and fluid leaked from the wound in weak pulses. Her head was bent at an impossible angle over her right shoulder, her nose crushed into a flat nub of flesh, and her dress hung at the collarbone, exposing a mauled hollow where her breast used to be. Yet her eyes bulged with malice.�
This description is very ominous and really quite brilliant. In the whole novel this description stood out the most to me. The author is very effective at evoking the image of characters and especially when they’re in combat.
Overall this is a solid 3.5 stars. The author has created a unique fantasy with exciting characters, but the pacing of the novel is disjointed in places. However, I did thoroughly enjoy this book and would strongly recommend it to any fantasy enthusiast who wants something a little bit different form the standard archetype.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review, here, on goodreads.
June 14, 2013
Of all the fantastical peoples and races, creatures and magics, I've read I've never read a book that even contained a gnome let alone displayed one as its main character(s). I haven't even seen the movie Gnomeo and Juliet about garden gnomes.
So you can imagine my intrigue when I was offered a copy of Rough Magic, book one of the GnomeSaga, by one of my friends here on ŷ. I was both intrigued and highly interested to see how a world of Gnomes works together. It turns out, it works pretty well.
Almost immediately we're introduced to some creatures that can only be compared to something out of China Mieville's imagination. They're strange, weird, gross (like really icky gross), and completely captivating. I had to read more.
After a compelling prologue, we jump into the bulk of the story of Niksabella, the tinkerer, and her brother Nikselpik, the magician/addict (to bugging, another highly imaginative, yet repulsive creation). This is where the story slows down quite a bit. It's interesting, but it felt like a lot of that could have been cut out to make it more streamlined. I was also confused about the ages Nikselpik and Niksabella. He was really old but she seemed young even though they grew up together. I mean it's believable, but it also felt like she was treated young. I know it was going for poor, but I couldn't shake the young feeling too. This was however, nowhere near a game-changer, just a passing thought really.
Even through the slow opening, the characters are interesting and it's never to the point of being too slow that you wouldn't want to continue. Niksabella is a tinkerer who invents useful items, but who is stopped at every turn by the powerful guilds who control patents. Her POV introduces some of the magic, but more importantly the level of technology. The world is actually technically advanced in certain ways although for the most part it is more medieval and you can see why when powerful people are threatened by the likes of Niksabella and her obviously important work.
As a small note (the smallest of side-notes), the technological progress and magics are probably intended to be unique to gnomes, but nothing really stood out or was explained as being particularly gnomish or being due to gnomes as opposed to what any other race could be doing.
Nikselpik is another great character who is hard to pin down at first. He seems irresponsible and untrustworthy, but sometimes he surprises. He was probably my favorite character because he was so diverse and his characterization is well done. I wanted to keep reading him every time.
As far as gnomes go, I'm definitely looking forward to reading more. Kenny Soward has created a unique and fascinating world that will both surprise and astound you. If you're looking for something new and completely different, look no further.
3.5 out of 5 Stars (recommended!)
Note: I have to add that for an independently published book, this was extremely well edited, especially when it comes to line edits. Kudos to Nine Worlds Media. I counted maybe two or three typos/spelling errors throughout the entire book and any large house has a couple errors every other page at least.
So you can imagine my intrigue when I was offered a copy of Rough Magic, book one of the GnomeSaga, by one of my friends here on ŷ. I was both intrigued and highly interested to see how a world of Gnomes works together. It turns out, it works pretty well.
Almost immediately we're introduced to some creatures that can only be compared to something out of China Mieville's imagination. They're strange, weird, gross (like really icky gross), and completely captivating. I had to read more.
After a compelling prologue, we jump into the bulk of the story of Niksabella, the tinkerer, and her brother Nikselpik, the magician/addict (to bugging, another highly imaginative, yet repulsive creation). This is where the story slows down quite a bit. It's interesting, but it felt like a lot of that could have been cut out to make it more streamlined. I was also confused about the ages Nikselpik and Niksabella. He was really old but she seemed young even though they grew up together. I mean it's believable, but it also felt like she was treated young. I know it was going for poor, but I couldn't shake the young feeling too. This was however, nowhere near a game-changer, just a passing thought really.
Even through the slow opening, the characters are interesting and it's never to the point of being too slow that you wouldn't want to continue. Niksabella is a tinkerer who invents useful items, but who is stopped at every turn by the powerful guilds who control patents. Her POV introduces some of the magic, but more importantly the level of technology. The world is actually technically advanced in certain ways although for the most part it is more medieval and you can see why when powerful people are threatened by the likes of Niksabella and her obviously important work.
As a small note (the smallest of side-notes), the technological progress and magics are probably intended to be unique to gnomes, but nothing really stood out or was explained as being particularly gnomish or being due to gnomes as opposed to what any other race could be doing.
Nikselpik is another great character who is hard to pin down at first. He seems irresponsible and untrustworthy, but sometimes he surprises. He was probably my favorite character because he was so diverse and his characterization is well done. I wanted to keep reading him every time.
As far as gnomes go, I'm definitely looking forward to reading more. Kenny Soward has created a unique and fascinating world that will both surprise and astound you. If you're looking for something new and completely different, look no further.
3.5 out of 5 Stars (recommended!)
Note: I have to add that for an independently published book, this was extremely well edited, especially when it comes to line edits. Kudos to Nine Worlds Media. I counted maybe two or three typos/spelling errors throughout the entire book and any large house has a couple errors every other page at least.
July 13, 2015
Don't you love it when you stumble across a book you have never heard of by an author unknown to you and you really like it? Me too!
I'll admit, I was not too thrilled at the beginning of this book but the pace picked up quickly around a third of the way in and stayed that way until the end.
One of the things I liked best about this book was that it was about gnomes. There are also stone men and all sorts of monsters, a welcome break from some of the more serious fantasy.(By "serious" I mean books like ASOFAI which are long on humans, short of creatures.) This was fantasy with a capitol F!
Definitely some unique ideas in this book and I am looking forward to the series. Already got book 2!
I'll admit, I was not too thrilled at the beginning of this book but the pace picked up quickly around a third of the way in and stayed that way until the end.
One of the things I liked best about this book was that it was about gnomes. There are also stone men and all sorts of monsters, a welcome break from some of the more serious fantasy.(By "serious" I mean books like ASOFAI which are long on humans, short of creatures.) This was fantasy with a capitol F!
Definitely some unique ideas in this book and I am looking forward to the series. Already got book 2!
May 7, 2017
In discussing ROUGH MAGIC, I told Kenny that I'd label him as China Mieville's and R.A. Salvatore's love child.
His response? "I wish, man. I wish."
But, upon reflection, that is the style I get from this book.
P.S. Kenny just said "...and with a touch of Ellen DeGeneres."
His response? "I wish, man. I wish."
But, upon reflection, that is the style I get from this book.
P.S. Kenny just said "...and with a touch of Ellen DeGeneres."
October 14, 2014
Review copy
Although I enjoyed The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings trilogy and a few other Fantasy novels over the years, for the most part, I really don't read or enjoy much in the way of Swords and Sorcery Fantasy.
I am happy to say Rough Magic is a charming exception. I decided to read this for a couple of reasons. I'm a fan of the Dead West series and Kenny Soward was a contributing author on the first two books, and it's published by Ragnarok Publications and they've yet to disappoint me.
I've often mentioned that what makes a great zombie book is the story. The zombies are basically all the same, so it comes down to what an author does with the characters. I guess it's the same with Swords and Sorcery Fantasy novels and in this case, the author has created an amazing world called Sullenor populated by Gnomes.
One gnometress in particular, Niksabella Nur, is a tinkerer who has used her skills and a bit of sorcery to create a never-ending energy source. The High Council, especially First Wizard Raulnock, wants her stopped. Then there's Jontuk, leader of the Stonekin, a stone-like race from one of the ultraworlds who has an interest in Niksabella's invention.
The Stonekin are at war with the Baron and his legions and by the end of the story, it seems the gnomes are under attack from similar forces.
Rough Magick is a story which evokes wonderment, laughter, a sense of foreboding, anger, and involves every possible emotion.
If you love Swords and Sorcery Fantasy, I can all but guarantee you'll enjoy Rough Magick. If you're a fan of a great story, you should check out Rough Magick even if not necessarily a fan of the genre.
Rough Magick, from Ragnarok Publications, will be released for the Kindle on October 13th, 2014 and is available now for pre-order.
Strongly recommended.
Although I enjoyed The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings trilogy and a few other Fantasy novels over the years, for the most part, I really don't read or enjoy much in the way of Swords and Sorcery Fantasy.
I am happy to say Rough Magic is a charming exception. I decided to read this for a couple of reasons. I'm a fan of the Dead West series and Kenny Soward was a contributing author on the first two books, and it's published by Ragnarok Publications and they've yet to disappoint me.
I've often mentioned that what makes a great zombie book is the story. The zombies are basically all the same, so it comes down to what an author does with the characters. I guess it's the same with Swords and Sorcery Fantasy novels and in this case, the author has created an amazing world called Sullenor populated by Gnomes.
One gnometress in particular, Niksabella Nur, is a tinkerer who has used her skills and a bit of sorcery to create a never-ending energy source. The High Council, especially First Wizard Raulnock, wants her stopped. Then there's Jontuk, leader of the Stonekin, a stone-like race from one of the ultraworlds who has an interest in Niksabella's invention.
The Stonekin are at war with the Baron and his legions and by the end of the story, it seems the gnomes are under attack from similar forces.
Rough Magick is a story which evokes wonderment, laughter, a sense of foreboding, anger, and involves every possible emotion.
If you love Swords and Sorcery Fantasy, I can all but guarantee you'll enjoy Rough Magick. If you're a fan of a great story, you should check out Rough Magick even if not necessarily a fan of the genre.
Rough Magick, from Ragnarok Publications, will be released for the Kindle on October 13th, 2014 and is available now for pre-order.
Strongly recommended.
February 5, 2016
Vrlo zabavna fantazijska knjižica sa interesantnim likovima i fokusom na rasu koja se slabo koristi u istalim knjigama. Imamo humora, ozbiljnih situacija, odlično opisanih borbi.
Jedino što mi se ne svidja što se knjiga završava cliffhangerom, odnosno ima se osećaj da je neku veću knjigu neku odsekao na manje delove.
U svakom slučaju dosta originalno i obavezno štivo za ljubitelje fantastike.
Plus sa 0.99 funti ne može se puno pogrešiti :)
Jedino što mi se ne svidja što se knjiga završava cliffhangerom, odnosno ima se osećaj da je neku veću knjigu neku odsekao na manje delove.
U svakom slučaju dosta originalno i obavezno štivo za ljubitelje fantastike.
Plus sa 0.99 funti ne može se puno pogrešiti :)
May 7, 2013
Originally published at .
Kenny Soward's Rough Magic is a delightfully original and entertaining debut fantasy book, because it features gnomes as protagonists. As several readers may know, gnomes are often severely overlooked in fantasy literature. This is a shame, because this book is a good example of how fascinating they are as protagonists. (To be honest, I don't remember reading any other adult fantasy novels in which gnomes are protagonists.)
Rough Magic is a pleasantly dark, but humorous book, which contains magic, action, family relationships and love. I loved this book! In my opinion Rough Magic is exactly what fantasy entertainment should be, because it's a clever, funny and original book that offers perfect entertainment for readers. It's full of heart, humour, wittiness, sarcasm and fascinating happenings.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
Rough Magic is a story about two gnomes and their lives in Hightower. Nikselpik and Niksabella Nur are a brother and sister. Niksabella is almost like an outcast among the other gnomes of Hightower, because she has been neglected and treated badly for her inventions etc. Although it's been difficult for her to get recognition and understanding for her work, she hasn't given up and her tinkering has finally produced something unique that could change things quite a lot for the gnomes and other beings. Unfortunately shadows loom in the horizon, because what she has invented can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. When beings from the ultrawords appear and gnomes are found murdered, things become dangerous for her and her brother...
Here's a bit of information about certain characters:
- Niksabella is a talented tinkerer who has become used to being ridiculed for her unorthodox methods and inventions (several gnomes think that she's a joke), but she doesn't give up easily and doesn't care what others think of her. She invents a new power source that may be dangerous in the wrong hands.
- Nikselpik is a talented necromancer who has an addiction called bugging (bugging is a bit different kind of an addiction, because it involves the usage of bugs to produce feelings of euphoria). Nikselpik is a bit rude and likes booze and women. He is being asked to investigate murders outside the city.
- Jontuk is a stonekin who's looking for a trinket that can save the stonekins.
- The First Wizard Raulnock is an intriguing character, because he has strong opinions about what's right and wrong, and doesn't tolerate gnomes who tinker with polymagic.
Kenny Soward mostly concentrates on writing about Niksabella and Nikselpik, but he also writes about minor characters (Jancy, Termund etc) in a fascinating way. Niksabella and Nikselpik are interesting and three-dimensional characters and the author writes well about them and their lives (in my opinion he writes surprisingly fluently about the differences between them). What makes Niksabella and Nikselpik especially interesting is that they're wonderfully realistic characters - they have flaws and they make mistakes just like real persons do.
I enjoyed reading about Niksabella and Nikselpik, because both characters were realistic. It was especially enjoayble to read about Niksabella's problems with her work, brother and love life (Termund). It was also nice to read about how the First Wizard Raulnock tried to cause problems for Niksabella, because she was suspected of tinkering with wrong things.
I also enjoyed reading about Niksabella's friend Fritzy and her family, because it was fun to read about Niksabella's opinions about Fritzy and her family. Niksabella's sarcastic thoughts were delightfully witty.
The events takes place in Hightower. The author reveals bits and pieces of Hightower and the world as the story progresses. It was interesting to read about the different places of Hightower and its inhabitants, because the city and its inhabitants are colourful.
Kenny Soward writes easily about the academic and social status of Hightower's inhabitants. Being different in Hightower can cause you quite a lot of problems, because what you do and what you have achieved means a lot to the gnomes. Persons who are different are often shunned and treated badly.
The action scenes are wonderfully bloody, ruthless and rough, which is good. The author describes these scenes perfectly and lets his readers fully immerse themselves in them.
I enjoyed reading about the magic system, because it differed nicely from other magic systems. It was great to read about necromancy, thaumaturgy, polymagic, three schools of gnomish magic (Beakerheads, Technocrats and Neverminders) etc. The magic system isn't fully explored in this book, so I think that the author will continue to reveal more things about it in the forthcoming books.
Kenny Soward is an excellent storyteller and clearly enjoys writing fantasy. He seems to write the story from his heart and describes fluently what the gnomes do and how they feel about things. In my opinion he's an author to watch, because he writes good fantasy.
There are a few minor flaws in this book, but in my opinion they're not really worth mentioning, because the story is compelling and the protagonists are interesting. I'll only mention that it would've been nice to read more about the world surrounding Hightower, but because the happenings take place in Hightower, it's understandable that there's no need to write about the outside world.
The GnomeSaga will continue in 2014 (the sequel is called The Tinkermage), so fans of this book will have more to read next year. I'm personally looking forward to reading the sequel, because Rough Magic is an entertaining fantasy book. I'm sure that the sequel will be worth the wait.
Before I write the final words of this review, I'll mention that the cover art painting by Michael (Mike) Gauss looks great.
On the scale from 1 to 5 stars I give Rough Magic 4.5 stars, because it's a fast read and offers plenty of entertainment for fantasy readers. Rough Magic is a wonderfully charming debut book for readers who enjoy good and well written fantasy books. It offers perfect escapism for a few hours, so make sure that you put it on your reading list.
Enjoyable fantasy!
Kenny Soward's Rough Magic is a delightfully original and entertaining debut fantasy book, because it features gnomes as protagonists. As several readers may know, gnomes are often severely overlooked in fantasy literature. This is a shame, because this book is a good example of how fascinating they are as protagonists. (To be honest, I don't remember reading any other adult fantasy novels in which gnomes are protagonists.)
Rough Magic is a pleasantly dark, but humorous book, which contains magic, action, family relationships and love. I loved this book! In my opinion Rough Magic is exactly what fantasy entertainment should be, because it's a clever, funny and original book that offers perfect entertainment for readers. It's full of heart, humour, wittiness, sarcasm and fascinating happenings.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
Rough Magic is a story about two gnomes and their lives in Hightower. Nikselpik and Niksabella Nur are a brother and sister. Niksabella is almost like an outcast among the other gnomes of Hightower, because she has been neglected and treated badly for her inventions etc. Although it's been difficult for her to get recognition and understanding for her work, she hasn't given up and her tinkering has finally produced something unique that could change things quite a lot for the gnomes and other beings. Unfortunately shadows loom in the horizon, because what she has invented can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. When beings from the ultrawords appear and gnomes are found murdered, things become dangerous for her and her brother...
Here's a bit of information about certain characters:
- Niksabella is a talented tinkerer who has become used to being ridiculed for her unorthodox methods and inventions (several gnomes think that she's a joke), but she doesn't give up easily and doesn't care what others think of her. She invents a new power source that may be dangerous in the wrong hands.
- Nikselpik is a talented necromancer who has an addiction called bugging (bugging is a bit different kind of an addiction, because it involves the usage of bugs to produce feelings of euphoria). Nikselpik is a bit rude and likes booze and women. He is being asked to investigate murders outside the city.
- Jontuk is a stonekin who's looking for a trinket that can save the stonekins.
- The First Wizard Raulnock is an intriguing character, because he has strong opinions about what's right and wrong, and doesn't tolerate gnomes who tinker with polymagic.
Kenny Soward mostly concentrates on writing about Niksabella and Nikselpik, but he also writes about minor characters (Jancy, Termund etc) in a fascinating way. Niksabella and Nikselpik are interesting and three-dimensional characters and the author writes well about them and their lives (in my opinion he writes surprisingly fluently about the differences between them). What makes Niksabella and Nikselpik especially interesting is that they're wonderfully realistic characters - they have flaws and they make mistakes just like real persons do.
I enjoyed reading about Niksabella and Nikselpik, because both characters were realistic. It was especially enjoayble to read about Niksabella's problems with her work, brother and love life (Termund). It was also nice to read about how the First Wizard Raulnock tried to cause problems for Niksabella, because she was suspected of tinkering with wrong things.
I also enjoyed reading about Niksabella's friend Fritzy and her family, because it was fun to read about Niksabella's opinions about Fritzy and her family. Niksabella's sarcastic thoughts were delightfully witty.
The events takes place in Hightower. The author reveals bits and pieces of Hightower and the world as the story progresses. It was interesting to read about the different places of Hightower and its inhabitants, because the city and its inhabitants are colourful.
Kenny Soward writes easily about the academic and social status of Hightower's inhabitants. Being different in Hightower can cause you quite a lot of problems, because what you do and what you have achieved means a lot to the gnomes. Persons who are different are often shunned and treated badly.
The action scenes are wonderfully bloody, ruthless and rough, which is good. The author describes these scenes perfectly and lets his readers fully immerse themselves in them.
I enjoyed reading about the magic system, because it differed nicely from other magic systems. It was great to read about necromancy, thaumaturgy, polymagic, three schools of gnomish magic (Beakerheads, Technocrats and Neverminders) etc. The magic system isn't fully explored in this book, so I think that the author will continue to reveal more things about it in the forthcoming books.
Kenny Soward is an excellent storyteller and clearly enjoys writing fantasy. He seems to write the story from his heart and describes fluently what the gnomes do and how they feel about things. In my opinion he's an author to watch, because he writes good fantasy.
There are a few minor flaws in this book, but in my opinion they're not really worth mentioning, because the story is compelling and the protagonists are interesting. I'll only mention that it would've been nice to read more about the world surrounding Hightower, but because the happenings take place in Hightower, it's understandable that there's no need to write about the outside world.
The GnomeSaga will continue in 2014 (the sequel is called The Tinkermage), so fans of this book will have more to read next year. I'm personally looking forward to reading the sequel, because Rough Magic is an entertaining fantasy book. I'm sure that the sequel will be worth the wait.
Before I write the final words of this review, I'll mention that the cover art painting by Michael (Mike) Gauss looks great.
On the scale from 1 to 5 stars I give Rough Magic 4.5 stars, because it's a fast read and offers plenty of entertainment for fantasy readers. Rough Magic is a wonderfully charming debut book for readers who enjoy good and well written fantasy books. It offers perfect escapism for a few hours, so make sure that you put it on your reading list.
Enjoyable fantasy!
November 3, 2014
Remember that funny kid who played a gnome in your D&D game? That's Kenny Soward, except he wrote the book on the ingenious little buggers, and his gnomes are darker, smarter, and much more compelling.
Meet Nikselpik, a mad genius of a wizard--his sister Niksabella is the engineering genius in the family--with a brilliantly-written substance abuse problem. He is a "bugger," literally, as his little black bugs dig under his forearm and deliver a stream of intoxicating, paranoia-inducing high times. He has also run up quite a tab at the local taverns of Hightower, where he spends more than his fair share of hours fantasizing about the dirty pillows of buxom gnomestresses. He's absolutely great.
And if your world is ever invaded by some uber nasty critters from another dimension who want to reanimate the bodies of your fallen comrades and swarm across the world like a horde of necromantic witches, trust me, Nikselpik is the bug-addicted, boob-obsessed, gloomy old gnome you want standing between your race and total extinction.
And yet, there is a real sweetness and charm to ROUGH MAGICK, a sense of humor and bonafide lightness. It's sort of The Hobbit meets Aliens meets Dirty Old Man (I made the last one up--Kenny Soward is indeed unclassifiable). It's a unique tale, with many subtle flavors in this gnomish homebrew making for enjoyable nights of sipping and eventually passing out at the bar with froth-covered lips. The gnomes drink some damn good ales and wines, apparently.
Now, a bit of criticism. Two point of view characters make up the bulk of Book I in the GnomeSaga trilogy: Nikselpik and his sister Niksabella Nur. Niksabella is quite believable as a gnomestress (female), with enough subtlety and depth to work quite well as the loner, tinkerer, inventive genius in this story. Even her romantic subplot is very well done, with just the right balance of sweetness and self-doubt. However.
My primary issue with ROUGH MAGICK is that while Niksabella was a vitally important character in this epic, and a damn good character at that, she doesn't exercise much of her own agency. She finds herself in the middle of some serious inter-dimensional drama, and that was great, but she's constantly on the receiving end of things. Even when handed Chekov's gun, she doesn't do much with it. I liked Niksabella, and I really did care about her, but I wish she had done more, in the end, to become the heroine of her own story. Though apparently she gets there in books II and III, which doesn't surprise me at all. Kenny Soward is more than a solid writer, and Nika is a great character. I'll add though, that for me, the most brilliant and surprising moment in the novel belongs to Niksabella (it involves a female cleric--you'll know when you get there).
There's a rich world for the reader to explore here, Sullenor, rich with all sorts of invention--by Tick and Tock!--a believable legal system and political structure, but I don't want to spoil much more of the great world-building. The writing flashes some brilliant metaphors and description, while remaining very close to the hearts of Nik and Nika. And let's not forget, this is an epic fantasy saga about gnomes. It's kind of amazing that no one, to my knowledge, has done that before. That's pretty awesome.
There's also some wonderful action here, mostly in the second half of the novel. ROUGH MAGICK rewards your patience, allowing you to immerse yourself in the Hobbity side of gnomes before plunging the reader into some intense battles and some very cool magic that leads up to an epic showdown.
This is another unique tale published by Ragnarok, a bit quirky and certainly brilliant in my opinion, a little off the beaten path, but then where else would you expect to find these intriguing little bugger gnomes? In ROUGH MAGICK, you're not going to find those bright red and blue little creepy bastards smiling in your garden. Kenny Soward's gnomes are the real deal, and they know how to have a good time and still kick ass real good.
[Review also published at Bookworm Blues]
Meet Nikselpik, a mad genius of a wizard--his sister Niksabella is the engineering genius in the family--with a brilliantly-written substance abuse problem. He is a "bugger," literally, as his little black bugs dig under his forearm and deliver a stream of intoxicating, paranoia-inducing high times. He has also run up quite a tab at the local taverns of Hightower, where he spends more than his fair share of hours fantasizing about the dirty pillows of buxom gnomestresses. He's absolutely great.
And if your world is ever invaded by some uber nasty critters from another dimension who want to reanimate the bodies of your fallen comrades and swarm across the world like a horde of necromantic witches, trust me, Nikselpik is the bug-addicted, boob-obsessed, gloomy old gnome you want standing between your race and total extinction.
And yet, there is a real sweetness and charm to ROUGH MAGICK, a sense of humor and bonafide lightness. It's sort of The Hobbit meets Aliens meets Dirty Old Man (I made the last one up--Kenny Soward is indeed unclassifiable). It's a unique tale, with many subtle flavors in this gnomish homebrew making for enjoyable nights of sipping and eventually passing out at the bar with froth-covered lips. The gnomes drink some damn good ales and wines, apparently.
Now, a bit of criticism. Two point of view characters make up the bulk of Book I in the GnomeSaga trilogy: Nikselpik and his sister Niksabella Nur. Niksabella is quite believable as a gnomestress (female), with enough subtlety and depth to work quite well as the loner, tinkerer, inventive genius in this story. Even her romantic subplot is very well done, with just the right balance of sweetness and self-doubt. However.
My primary issue with ROUGH MAGICK is that while Niksabella was a vitally important character in this epic, and a damn good character at that, she doesn't exercise much of her own agency. She finds herself in the middle of some serious inter-dimensional drama, and that was great, but she's constantly on the receiving end of things. Even when handed Chekov's gun, she doesn't do much with it. I liked Niksabella, and I really did care about her, but I wish she had done more, in the end, to become the heroine of her own story. Though apparently she gets there in books II and III, which doesn't surprise me at all. Kenny Soward is more than a solid writer, and Nika is a great character. I'll add though, that for me, the most brilliant and surprising moment in the novel belongs to Niksabella (it involves a female cleric--you'll know when you get there).
There's a rich world for the reader to explore here, Sullenor, rich with all sorts of invention--by Tick and Tock!--a believable legal system and political structure, but I don't want to spoil much more of the great world-building. The writing flashes some brilliant metaphors and description, while remaining very close to the hearts of Nik and Nika. And let's not forget, this is an epic fantasy saga about gnomes. It's kind of amazing that no one, to my knowledge, has done that before. That's pretty awesome.
There's also some wonderful action here, mostly in the second half of the novel. ROUGH MAGICK rewards your patience, allowing you to immerse yourself in the Hobbity side of gnomes before plunging the reader into some intense battles and some very cool magic that leads up to an epic showdown.
This is another unique tale published by Ragnarok, a bit quirky and certainly brilliant in my opinion, a little off the beaten path, but then where else would you expect to find these intriguing little bugger gnomes? In ROUGH MAGICK, you're not going to find those bright red and blue little creepy bastards smiling in your garden. Kenny Soward's gnomes are the real deal, and they know how to have a good time and still kick ass real good.
[Review also published at Bookworm Blues]
October 14, 2014
I don't usually like high fantasy; Elves, Dwarfs, Orcs and what not just feel a little too cookie-cutter but Kenny Soward does something interesting and different enough to make Rough Magick feel fresh.
The story, though featuring more fantasy races than a D&D adventure, focuses on gnomes. Sometimes magical, sometimes ingenious inventors, sometimes hillbilly farmers, the gnomes are endearing partly because of the racial characteristics Soward gives them and partly because the 2 main protagonists (a brother and sister) are compelling in the deeply flawed way that is so prevalent in epic fantasy these days.
The narrative moves from dark and gritty to gnomishly quaint without feeling laboured or rushed and finishes well with enough questions left unanswered to leave you wanting to know more.
The only problem I had was that some of the descriptions of surroundings / events were a little confusing, especially during the more action orientated scenes.
I give this book a solid 4.5 Stars and I'm rounding up to 5 because GNOMES!
The story, though featuring more fantasy races than a D&D adventure, focuses on gnomes. Sometimes magical, sometimes ingenious inventors, sometimes hillbilly farmers, the gnomes are endearing partly because of the racial characteristics Soward gives them and partly because the 2 main protagonists (a brother and sister) are compelling in the deeply flawed way that is so prevalent in epic fantasy these days.
The narrative moves from dark and gritty to gnomishly quaint without feeling laboured or rushed and finishes well with enough questions left unanswered to leave you wanting to know more.
The only problem I had was that some of the descriptions of surroundings / events were a little confusing, especially during the more action orientated scenes.
I give this book a solid 4.5 Stars and I'm rounding up to 5 because GNOMES!
October 3, 2014
I don't even know where to begin. This book is so incredibly good. It's filled with gnomes and awesome rock people and whatever that thing is. As soon as I finished, I needed the next one.
The characters are very real, and I found myself caring about them so deeply that when they were in peril, I was afraid for their lives. I tried to tell myself that they couldn't die. No way. But it didn't work. I couldn't know that they would be okay, and I very much wanted them to live.
The author thrusts you into their world, and soon enough, words like snolt and tinker-caps and thaumatology seem commonplace to you.
It's a whirlwind adventure from start to finish, even when slower-paced things are happening, like a date that endeared the main character to me even more though I was sure that wasn't possible.
10/5. Would definitely read again. Would definitely buy every book in this series.
The characters are very real, and I found myself caring about them so deeply that when they were in peril, I was afraid for their lives. I tried to tell myself that they couldn't die. No way. But it didn't work. I couldn't know that they would be okay, and I very much wanted them to live.
The author thrusts you into their world, and soon enough, words like snolt and tinker-caps and thaumatology seem commonplace to you.
It's a whirlwind adventure from start to finish, even when slower-paced things are happening, like a date that endeared the main character to me even more though I was sure that wasn't possible.
10/5. Would definitely read again. Would definitely buy every book in this series.
November 21, 2014
If you are a fan of sword and sorcery style fantasy than you need to give this book a read. It will keep you reading throughout the night even if you are not completely a fan of the genre itself. The characters are full and believable and the story line will suck you in before you know it. Awesome read!
January 18, 2016
Rough Magick is the first book in a trilogy called the GnomeSaga. This is intriguing to me because, as far as I know, gnomes are the least-liked race in fantasy. Existing somewhere underneath kender and well-beneath dwarves, gnomes are a group of people which don't really have a fantasy idiom to call their own.
This is mostly Professor Tolkien's fault as he managed to define what elves and dwarves were but didn't take time to spell out what gnomes were. Margeret Weiss and Tracy Hickman gave gnomes the balliwick of being the anachronistic holders of technology in a fantasy world, which the gnomes of Azeroth cemented as a quality of them, but they're still fairly unloved.
Kenny Soward is not going to be the one who changes gnomes forever in the public mind, in all likelihood, but he'll likely be referred to by readers as a man who gave them their chance in the sun. GnomeSaga is a story about gnomes with gnomes as the heroes and it does a reasonable job at showing them as perfectly capable of holding their own in a high fantasy story.
The premise is there is a multi-dimensional empire ruled by a mysterious "Baron" which utilizes a race of stone-based lifeforms called (appropriately enough) Stonekin to conquer other races. These people, along with mind-controlled slaves, are forced to fight to the end in the Baron's service with no hope of escape. The Stonekin's leader, Jontuk, has found an inventor who is prophecized to lead them to freedom.
She just has no idea about any of this.
Niksabella is a nerdy shut-in inventor who is too focused on trying to get her infinite energy device (powered by magic) working to care about these sorts of things. Ridiculed and laughed out of polite Gnomish society, she is taken care of by a handful of friends who still believe in her. Her brother, Nikselpik, is a Necromancer of no small skill but has ruined his life with an addiction to "Bugging." A habit which is functionally identical to heroin use.
These two oddball antiheroes are going to find themselves caught up in an extra-dimensional war which not only threatens their Steampunk-esque fantasy homeland but much of the rest of the Mutliverse as well.
I should mention, before we continue, Rough Magick reads very strongly like Dungeons and Dragons fiction. Clerics cast spells which heal, wizards throw fireballs, and just about everything functions like someone is rolling dice in the background. As someone who grew up playing 2nd and 3rd Edition, this isn't a bad thing. However, new readers may be surprised to find out this isn't official Dungeons and Dragons fiction but a wholly original piece. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if the author did a Pathfinder or other 3rd Edition-influenced supplement for the setting as it might be fun to play in once or twice.
Despite its heavy D&D-inspiration, the setting still feels pretty original and evocative. The gnomes have a fantasy steampunk-esque society with its own laws, customs, practices, and habits. They feel somewhat like if you dropped a bunch of Londoners from H.G. Wells and his contemporaries in the middle of a Tolkien-esque fantasy setting them cut them in half. It's slightly more adult than most D&D fiction I've read with Nikselpik being a drug-addicted lech but not so much I'd even rate it PG-13 versus PG. The author even uses made-up swear words like "futtering", which means exactly what you think it does.
The characterization is fun and I can't say any of the characters annoyed me. I could have used a bit more description in places like the amorphs, the Stonekin, and otherwise but the author is usually quite good at giving the reader an idea of his rather bizarre universe. Clearly, the author also sat down to figure out who does what and how in the gnomes' society and that effort shows. I even liked both leads' romantic troubles, which I rarely say.
So, overall, I'm going to give this a very high rating. It's not perfect and the story often overwhelmed me with so many new names but the author transported me into a high fantasy world which I liked. If you have any affection for worlds where fireballs are flung, tyrants are overthrown, and steam robots fight with alien-parasite controlled zombies then this is the book for you. I barely even noticed the heroes were four-feet-tall.
9/10
This is mostly Professor Tolkien's fault as he managed to define what elves and dwarves were but didn't take time to spell out what gnomes were. Margeret Weiss and Tracy Hickman gave gnomes the balliwick of being the anachronistic holders of technology in a fantasy world, which the gnomes of Azeroth cemented as a quality of them, but they're still fairly unloved.
Kenny Soward is not going to be the one who changes gnomes forever in the public mind, in all likelihood, but he'll likely be referred to by readers as a man who gave them their chance in the sun. GnomeSaga is a story about gnomes with gnomes as the heroes and it does a reasonable job at showing them as perfectly capable of holding their own in a high fantasy story.
The premise is there is a multi-dimensional empire ruled by a mysterious "Baron" which utilizes a race of stone-based lifeforms called (appropriately enough) Stonekin to conquer other races. These people, along with mind-controlled slaves, are forced to fight to the end in the Baron's service with no hope of escape. The Stonekin's leader, Jontuk, has found an inventor who is prophecized to lead them to freedom.
She just has no idea about any of this.
Niksabella is a nerdy shut-in inventor who is too focused on trying to get her infinite energy device (powered by magic) working to care about these sorts of things. Ridiculed and laughed out of polite Gnomish society, she is taken care of by a handful of friends who still believe in her. Her brother, Nikselpik, is a Necromancer of no small skill but has ruined his life with an addiction to "Bugging." A habit which is functionally identical to heroin use.
These two oddball antiheroes are going to find themselves caught up in an extra-dimensional war which not only threatens their Steampunk-esque fantasy homeland but much of the rest of the Mutliverse as well.
I should mention, before we continue, Rough Magick reads very strongly like Dungeons and Dragons fiction. Clerics cast spells which heal, wizards throw fireballs, and just about everything functions like someone is rolling dice in the background. As someone who grew up playing 2nd and 3rd Edition, this isn't a bad thing. However, new readers may be surprised to find out this isn't official Dungeons and Dragons fiction but a wholly original piece. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if the author did a Pathfinder or other 3rd Edition-influenced supplement for the setting as it might be fun to play in once or twice.
Despite its heavy D&D-inspiration, the setting still feels pretty original and evocative. The gnomes have a fantasy steampunk-esque society with its own laws, customs, practices, and habits. They feel somewhat like if you dropped a bunch of Londoners from H.G. Wells and his contemporaries in the middle of a Tolkien-esque fantasy setting them cut them in half. It's slightly more adult than most D&D fiction I've read with Nikselpik being a drug-addicted lech but not so much I'd even rate it PG-13 versus PG. The author even uses made-up swear words like "futtering", which means exactly what you think it does.
The characterization is fun and I can't say any of the characters annoyed me. I could have used a bit more description in places like the amorphs, the Stonekin, and otherwise but the author is usually quite good at giving the reader an idea of his rather bizarre universe. Clearly, the author also sat down to figure out who does what and how in the gnomes' society and that effort shows. I even liked both leads' romantic troubles, which I rarely say.
So, overall, I'm going to give this a very high rating. It's not perfect and the story often overwhelmed me with so many new names but the author transported me into a high fantasy world which I liked. If you have any affection for worlds where fireballs are flung, tyrants are overthrown, and steam robots fight with alien-parasite controlled zombies then this is the book for you. I barely even noticed the heroes were four-feet-tall.
9/10
April 30, 2013
Got Rough Magic through ŷ First Reads and read it over the weekend.
The book starts out kind of slow, the first chunk of the book is devoted establishing the setting and characters. Things start to pick up after that. Once the actual story starts, it becomes a much more engaging read.
The book as a whole is a intriguing look into the world of a standard fantasy race, but one that usually isn't the focus of the attention. It's interesting to see the attention being on them, the gnomes, and their culture and society. I'm a fan of steampunk, so I much like the blending of gadgets and magic.
In the end it was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to continuing the story whenever the sequel is released.
The book starts out kind of slow, the first chunk of the book is devoted establishing the setting and characters. Things start to pick up after that. Once the actual story starts, it becomes a much more engaging read.
The book as a whole is a intriguing look into the world of a standard fantasy race, but one that usually isn't the focus of the attention. It's interesting to see the attention being on them, the gnomes, and their culture and society. I'm a fan of steampunk, so I much like the blending of gadgets and magic.
In the end it was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to continuing the story whenever the sequel is released.
April 17, 2015
Steampunk kind of passed me by. I knew it was out there, knew it was "in fashion" so to speak, but there was something about it that didn't entirely appeal, there was always something else to read (or write) first and I passed over several times.
As it turn out, this was a big mistake! I don't know if Kenny Soward's work is representative of most steampunk, but if it is then I'm going to be spending more time
full review here -
As it turn out, this was a big mistake! I don't know if Kenny Soward's work is representative of most steampunk, but if it is then I'm going to be spending more time
full review here -
April 24, 2013
My review
My interview with Kenny about Rough Magic here -
My interview with Kenny about Rough Magic here -
August 20, 2013
Rough Magic is one of those fantasy sagas which is difficult to put down. I found the first couple of chapters slightly taxing due to a rather drawn out description of Niksabella's background but after that the action took off and the writing really flowed.
Niksabella Nur is a tinkerer, an inventor who fights against the system to get her work appreciated and seen. Persecuted by the establishment, she is determined to stand by her work but there are people who want what she has. Her brother, Nikselpik is a good time man who likes a pint of brew and the odd beetle induced high. Niksabella despairs of him but behind the facade is a gnome of great talents, can he show her he is more than he looks to be?
For a debut novel, this one is a bit special and I loved the flaws of the characters and the way the author brought this world to life so effectively in my mind. I will be waiting to see what happens in the next book.
This book is part of the GnomeSaga series and the author has brought us a world full of gnomes, gnome magic and characters which grow and surprise you with their eventual morality and values.
Niksabella Nur is a tinkerer, an inventor who fights against the system to get her work appreciated and seen. Persecuted by the establishment, she is determined to stand by her work but there are people who want what she has. Her brother, Nikselpik is a good time man who likes a pint of brew and the odd beetle induced high. Niksabella despairs of him but behind the facade is a gnome of great talents, can he show her he is more than he looks to be?
For a debut novel, this one is a bit special and I loved the flaws of the characters and the way the author brought this world to life so effectively in my mind. I will be waiting to see what happens in the next book.
This book is part of the GnomeSaga series and the author has brought us a world full of gnomes, gnome magic and characters which grow and surprise you with their eventual morality and values.
October 28, 2015
Actual rating is more like 4.25
Magic, steampunk and Gnomes? Yes gnomes, those creepy things that live in Granny Pig's garden. Turns out they make interesting characters. I love the dynamic between brother and sister, Nikselpik and Niksabella. It's filled with years and years of resentment and anger and insecurity and a healthy dose of competition, all held together by a deep love for one another.
The world building is good, I found myself easily immersed into the gnomes world. It all comes together to create a world much like ours (apart from the magic and tech of course) filled with creatures much like ourselves, who live and drink and eat and struggle with everyday life. All these details make it very believable and enjoyable. I had slight niggles with the pacing of the plot, but the story was engaging enough to keep me gripped.
Yes I would recommend this.
Yes, I will continue with the series, I've already bought book 2: for my Kindle.
Magic, steampunk and Gnomes? Yes gnomes, those creepy things that live in Granny Pig's garden. Turns out they make interesting characters. I love the dynamic between brother and sister, Nikselpik and Niksabella. It's filled with years and years of resentment and anger and insecurity and a healthy dose of competition, all held together by a deep love for one another.
The world building is good, I found myself easily immersed into the gnomes world. It all comes together to create a world much like ours (apart from the magic and tech of course) filled with creatures much like ourselves, who live and drink and eat and struggle with everyday life. All these details make it very believable and enjoyable. I had slight niggles with the pacing of the plot, but the story was engaging enough to keep me gripped.
Yes I would recommend this.
Yes, I will continue with the series, I've already bought book 2: for my Kindle.
May 7, 2013
I'm a real big fan of you.
June 5, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. it started off a little slower than i am used to but once i got into it i couldnt put it down !!!!
May 12, 2013
Loved it! A fantastic debut novel, bring on book 2!
January 2, 2019
Enjoying it so far. I'm disappointed at how hard this book was to obtain. The only copy I could find was an e-Pub (with which I had to use Text-to-speech as I often do with books that have no audio version). I hope the author puts out a updated version soon as it's rare to find books starring fantasy gnomes.
May 19, 2015
My life was changed when at the age of thirteen and a friend showed me Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. My first adventure into living dragons, half elven heroes, knights, princesses, and more captivated my imagination with the joy of discovery and wonder. Some of the characters, like the mage, Raistlin, had dark pasts, but the overall feeling was hopeful. Sad things happened, but you never gave up hope.
Somewhere along the years my love of Fantasy has been usurped for that of high tech battles or survival tales against monsters. I’ve also become more busy than I seem able to handle.
And then I won a book giveaway for Rough Magick (GnomeSaga #1) by Kenny Soward. I was immediately impressed by the care with which he’d wrapped his book, followed by the exquisite cover art and even some goodies in a poster of the same and a key chain mockup of a silver sprocket used for currency in their world.
The layout of the print edition is beautiful and evocative of the kind of atmosphere my thirteen year old past dreams of reliving.
Sadly, I’m no longer on that week long vacation where I could sit and read Dragons for as long as I cared for. I’m a father and husband, writing fiction on top of my job and all the in between that steals my time in fantasyland.
Rough Magick’s first chapter blew me away with potential for a phenomenal story to come. The combination of rock monsters, living ships, and the magick thriving all around as two powerful forces collide awed me with Soward’s abilities to weave a frantic and colorful first chapter. The battle’s stonekin leader, Jontuk’s motivations turned out different than we thought, and he had to slip away into an interdimensional portal. Yes, more please. Enter our heroine, Niksabella, a uniquely gifted tinkerer whose recursive mirror is more than just a power device, it can deliver Jontuk from the oppressive Baron. The tone changes from Jontuk’s point of view to Niksabella’s, switching from an intense battle to another day in the life of an outcast engineer who’d rather play with her devices than shower or socialize.
While I admired Niksabella in her passion to create at the expense of relationships and social standing, the time spent showing this dragged the story down at times. This could have been lessened had I more time to spend to reading chapters consecutively. Chapters fourteen and fifteen, where she visits the festival, are an example of times where I wasn’t feeling the sing song joviality of the book’s pacing. I didn’t get the point of some of the chapters and eventually, unfortunately, I put the book down.
After a few months, I was still stewing over wanting more story like Rough Magick provided in the battle scenes and where we saw the damaged relationship between Niksabella and her brother, Nikselpik, a mage in his own right, but with a dark addiction.
Then I discovered the audio version narrated by Scott Aiello, and I finally got the story Soward was trying to tell. Scott delivers a masterful performance, maybe in my top three for audiobooks. His voices and enthusiasm nail the sing song joviality in a way that made me eager to enjoy every second. I restarted from the beginning, and Aiello’s performance transformed the story from reading into an immersive experience strongly similar to the one I had as a young teenager. I laughed at the songs and phrases, by tick and tock for futtering sake, Soward made up to color his world. I marveled at voices that convinced me I was living with magick wielding gnomes. A possible obstruction from my busy life was removed and I was able to see parts of the story worth praising. My favorite scene is a strongly emotional one where an old father is eager to sit on his porch and enjoy the blessings of his years, his family, his food, and his zonk, when a deadly power shows up at his door.
I didn’t need Aiello’s vocal performance to appreciate Soward’s deft skill at describing magick and battles, but Aiello didn’t let up on that aspect of the experience one tick. By tick and tock, Soward’s magickal battle scenes are some of my favorite among any genre. I want to read a book cowritten by him and Jeff Salyards. That would blow me away, not that either needs work, but because they are top among their field and would present a championship level display.
The pacing through the second half of the book had much better interest. At first, I was curious about the direction of Bella’s imprisonment, and thought it dragged a little in the early parts, but the actual trial and thereafter picked up the pace in a very enjoyable conclusion. Again, Soward’s description of the destruction of the amorphs and the focus on Nikselpik’s fight against their powers was thrilling and just the kind of wonder I want from my Fantasy. The ending was well done and left me wanting to remain in Soward’s world.
I’m very glad to see Soward has completed his GnomeSaga trilogy. It’s no wonder Ragnarok Publications has teamed up with him. They are both outstanding additions to our community of Fantasy readers. If you’re looking for fun Fantasy with awesome battles, definitely pick up Rough Magick, in whatever format you prefer, but especially in the audiobook if you can.
Somewhere along the years my love of Fantasy has been usurped for that of high tech battles or survival tales against monsters. I’ve also become more busy than I seem able to handle.
And then I won a book giveaway for Rough Magick (GnomeSaga #1) by Kenny Soward. I was immediately impressed by the care with which he’d wrapped his book, followed by the exquisite cover art and even some goodies in a poster of the same and a key chain mockup of a silver sprocket used for currency in their world.
The layout of the print edition is beautiful and evocative of the kind of atmosphere my thirteen year old past dreams of reliving.
Sadly, I’m no longer on that week long vacation where I could sit and read Dragons for as long as I cared for. I’m a father and husband, writing fiction on top of my job and all the in between that steals my time in fantasyland.
Rough Magick’s first chapter blew me away with potential for a phenomenal story to come. The combination of rock monsters, living ships, and the magick thriving all around as two powerful forces collide awed me with Soward’s abilities to weave a frantic and colorful first chapter. The battle’s stonekin leader, Jontuk’s motivations turned out different than we thought, and he had to slip away into an interdimensional portal. Yes, more please. Enter our heroine, Niksabella, a uniquely gifted tinkerer whose recursive mirror is more than just a power device, it can deliver Jontuk from the oppressive Baron. The tone changes from Jontuk’s point of view to Niksabella’s, switching from an intense battle to another day in the life of an outcast engineer who’d rather play with her devices than shower or socialize.
While I admired Niksabella in her passion to create at the expense of relationships and social standing, the time spent showing this dragged the story down at times. This could have been lessened had I more time to spend to reading chapters consecutively. Chapters fourteen and fifteen, where she visits the festival, are an example of times where I wasn’t feeling the sing song joviality of the book’s pacing. I didn’t get the point of some of the chapters and eventually, unfortunately, I put the book down.
After a few months, I was still stewing over wanting more story like Rough Magick provided in the battle scenes and where we saw the damaged relationship between Niksabella and her brother, Nikselpik, a mage in his own right, but with a dark addiction.
Then I discovered the audio version narrated by Scott Aiello, and I finally got the story Soward was trying to tell. Scott delivers a masterful performance, maybe in my top three for audiobooks. His voices and enthusiasm nail the sing song joviality in a way that made me eager to enjoy every second. I restarted from the beginning, and Aiello’s performance transformed the story from reading into an immersive experience strongly similar to the one I had as a young teenager. I laughed at the songs and phrases, by tick and tock for futtering sake, Soward made up to color his world. I marveled at voices that convinced me I was living with magick wielding gnomes. A possible obstruction from my busy life was removed and I was able to see parts of the story worth praising. My favorite scene is a strongly emotional one where an old father is eager to sit on his porch and enjoy the blessings of his years, his family, his food, and his zonk, when a deadly power shows up at his door.
I didn’t need Aiello’s vocal performance to appreciate Soward’s deft skill at describing magick and battles, but Aiello didn’t let up on that aspect of the experience one tick. By tick and tock, Soward’s magickal battle scenes are some of my favorite among any genre. I want to read a book cowritten by him and Jeff Salyards. That would blow me away, not that either needs work, but because they are top among their field and would present a championship level display.
The pacing through the second half of the book had much better interest. At first, I was curious about the direction of Bella’s imprisonment, and thought it dragged a little in the early parts, but the actual trial and thereafter picked up the pace in a very enjoyable conclusion. Again, Soward’s description of the destruction of the amorphs and the focus on Nikselpik’s fight against their powers was thrilling and just the kind of wonder I want from my Fantasy. The ending was well done and left me wanting to remain in Soward’s world.
I’m very glad to see Soward has completed his GnomeSaga trilogy. It’s no wonder Ragnarok Publications has teamed up with him. They are both outstanding additions to our community of Fantasy readers. If you’re looking for fun Fantasy with awesome battles, definitely pick up Rough Magick, in whatever format you prefer, but especially in the audiobook if you can.
June 8, 2017
I loved that the story focused on gnomes and how their culture was all about tinkering and magic. I enjoyed learning about the characters. The action definitely kept my interest. Can't wait to read the rest of the Gnome Saga.
July 2, 2013
Jontuk is of Stonekin and one of many under the service of the Cruel barren. Jontuk has a way to help his people, through the mirror gate to another world, to find a trinket. A venture none other his kind will make. Jontuk has to trust his kind are faring well while on his mission.
Niksabella, a female tinker who's not accepted of her creations in gnomish tinkering community or any where in gnome community. Nika has created a device of never-ending power with her recursive mirror. A device that could be deadly dangerous as a weapon, if in the wrong hands, or a great help to their way of life if used properly. But with this forbidden creation, if the High Council finds she continued working on and finished it...she could be imprisoned - for life. Niksabella doesn't realize until her unknown guardian, Jancy, saves her that Nika's design has caught the attention of many, who will do anything for the tin doll or even her mind. Nika doesn't feel at home in Hightower where she's spent her life - near death experiences and meeting a man from the mountains, helps her realize it.
Niksabella's brother, Nikseltuk, is asked (more told) to accompany troops out to a mysterious murder of a simple farming family. Nikseltuk's ability to interpret the dead could help. What Nikseltuk comes across as the murderer, is not of this world. And Nikseltuk will have to choose which battle to fight - these things or return to help his sister.
Magic. Tinkering. Aerostats. Gnomes. Humans and more. Interesting world built here. A blend of fantasy magic and Industrial and steam with clockworks. The way of delivering drinks at Bombuck's tavern. COOL! They come from the air. I'd love to have a place to go to with this.
Prelude's and I don't always get along. They confuse me to what's happening in a new world which I don't know yet. This one wasn't a strong one for me. I wasn't sure of what was to happen as things of a wold I don't know are mentioned. It kinda felt out of sink with the story. And I didn't see much of Jontuk again afterward. I would have liked to have seen him more in the world we are in with Nika. Jontuk does show up briefly for us, but felt the story was nothing to do with him and all to do with Niksabella. Once past the Prelude, you are good with Nika and her brother - Nikseltuk. But in the end, I understood the Prelude and what it was setting for the world.
There are different magical Disciplines and many gnomes of this world feel they should not be blended. Me, I liked that they are blended, and every world needs rules to be followed - or broken. Nika has been looked down on as she is one who has mixed these magics, a Polymagician and maybe even a touch of sorcery added too.
The world opens to a greater one slowly with an easy read through different characters. Even though the first Wizard has warned Nika away from this project and will reprimand her for meddling in areas she should not, he wants to profit from her creation as well. A greedy man of power and money, never good. But there are others, unexpected others, that are here in this world that don't belong. And they are after something as well...
This feels like a light fantasy read. Not all of the story is about the fight, although we do have some battles Nikseltuk has to fight. Interesting battles. As you know there are different styles and draws to a story. I didn't feel part of the crowd in this world, but more someone standing back watching everything happen. I'm okay with being an observer here. Makes the story feel light and I read through it quicker.
I'm curious to see where the author goes with this gnome story to come. There is a battle waiting to happen, and a few that will have to be fought, in this world and another. A nice start to a new world and series.
Niksabella, a female tinker who's not accepted of her creations in gnomish tinkering community or any where in gnome community. Nika has created a device of never-ending power with her recursive mirror. A device that could be deadly dangerous as a weapon, if in the wrong hands, or a great help to their way of life if used properly. But with this forbidden creation, if the High Council finds she continued working on and finished it...she could be imprisoned - for life. Niksabella doesn't realize until her unknown guardian, Jancy, saves her that Nika's design has caught the attention of many, who will do anything for the tin doll or even her mind. Nika doesn't feel at home in Hightower where she's spent her life - near death experiences and meeting a man from the mountains, helps her realize it.
Niksabella's brother, Nikseltuk, is asked (more told) to accompany troops out to a mysterious murder of a simple farming family. Nikseltuk's ability to interpret the dead could help. What Nikseltuk comes across as the murderer, is not of this world. And Nikseltuk will have to choose which battle to fight - these things or return to help his sister.
Magic. Tinkering. Aerostats. Gnomes. Humans and more. Interesting world built here. A blend of fantasy magic and Industrial and steam with clockworks. The way of delivering drinks at Bombuck's tavern. COOL! They come from the air. I'd love to have a place to go to with this.
Prelude's and I don't always get along. They confuse me to what's happening in a new world which I don't know yet. This one wasn't a strong one for me. I wasn't sure of what was to happen as things of a wold I don't know are mentioned. It kinda felt out of sink with the story. And I didn't see much of Jontuk again afterward. I would have liked to have seen him more in the world we are in with Nika. Jontuk does show up briefly for us, but felt the story was nothing to do with him and all to do with Niksabella. Once past the Prelude, you are good with Nika and her brother - Nikseltuk. But in the end, I understood the Prelude and what it was setting for the world.
There are different magical Disciplines and many gnomes of this world feel they should not be blended. Me, I liked that they are blended, and every world needs rules to be followed - or broken. Nika has been looked down on as she is one who has mixed these magics, a Polymagician and maybe even a touch of sorcery added too.
The world opens to a greater one slowly with an easy read through different characters. Even though the first Wizard has warned Nika away from this project and will reprimand her for meddling in areas she should not, he wants to profit from her creation as well. A greedy man of power and money, never good. But there are others, unexpected others, that are here in this world that don't belong. And they are after something as well...
This feels like a light fantasy read. Not all of the story is about the fight, although we do have some battles Nikseltuk has to fight. Interesting battles. As you know there are different styles and draws to a story. I didn't feel part of the crowd in this world, but more someone standing back watching everything happen. I'm okay with being an observer here. Makes the story feel light and I read through it quicker.
I'm curious to see where the author goes with this gnome story to come. There is a battle waiting to happen, and a few that will have to be fought, in this world and another. A nice start to a new world and series.
February 10, 2015
The best way I can describe Rough Magick is that it is a bit of a fun tale. The story is all about gnomes and it is full of fun dialogue inner and outer and plays this well in a more serious plot. The story is about a brother and sister that both find themselves wrapped up in some strange happenings.
Niksabella is the lead gnomestress and has been working on an invention that she has been forbidden from working on, but ends up making some key breakthroughs. This invention, she finds, has interest to many other players in a game she didn’t know she was involved in. Niksabella finds herself guarded by certain protectors as she spends most of the story relatively oblivious to what’s going on. Niksabella consistently asks herself what’s so important about her invention why she was attacked by a creature at random in an alley. These questions drive her POV though the focus is lost a bit at the beginning and middle of the story.
As an alternative POV, Niksabella’s brother Nikselpik has been called upon by his order of wizards to accompany a group of soldiers to investigate some murders. What they discover is not of this world (pardon the cliché) and Nikselpik wants desperately to just put it behind him and go home. There are some weird discoveries in Nikselpik’s end that add to the strangeness of the world� I can tell the author has a vivid imagination. The world, and Nikselpik’s POV became the driving purpose for my continuance in the story as I, admittedly, did not really enjoy Niksabella’s POV after the first few chapters.
Overall the writing is pretty good and the story is well thought out. I think some of the drive of the story became a little convoluted in the midsection but I definitely think that there is something here that a lot of fantasy readers will enjoy. I honestly just think that this book wasn’t my cup of tea. It was very different from any kind of fantasy I’ve read so far and I’m not sure I’ve heard of anyone using gnomes as their primary characters, though these factors don’t take away from the story in the slightest. The author does a fine job with character development, world building, and he has a very unique story, but it just didn’t succeed in grabbing my attention very well and I often times just kind of felt forced to the page to finish it. This doesn’t mean there are other readers out there that won’t think this is better than sliced bread, it just wasn’t for me. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments below.
My Rating: 6/10
Niksabella is the lead gnomestress and has been working on an invention that she has been forbidden from working on, but ends up making some key breakthroughs. This invention, she finds, has interest to many other players in a game she didn’t know she was involved in. Niksabella finds herself guarded by certain protectors as she spends most of the story relatively oblivious to what’s going on. Niksabella consistently asks herself what’s so important about her invention why she was attacked by a creature at random in an alley. These questions drive her POV though the focus is lost a bit at the beginning and middle of the story.
As an alternative POV, Niksabella’s brother Nikselpik has been called upon by his order of wizards to accompany a group of soldiers to investigate some murders. What they discover is not of this world (pardon the cliché) and Nikselpik wants desperately to just put it behind him and go home. There are some weird discoveries in Nikselpik’s end that add to the strangeness of the world� I can tell the author has a vivid imagination. The world, and Nikselpik’s POV became the driving purpose for my continuance in the story as I, admittedly, did not really enjoy Niksabella’s POV after the first few chapters.
Overall the writing is pretty good and the story is well thought out. I think some of the drive of the story became a little convoluted in the midsection but I definitely think that there is something here that a lot of fantasy readers will enjoy. I honestly just think that this book wasn’t my cup of tea. It was very different from any kind of fantasy I’ve read so far and I’m not sure I’ve heard of anyone using gnomes as their primary characters, though these factors don’t take away from the story in the slightest. The author does a fine job with character development, world building, and he has a very unique story, but it just didn’t succeed in grabbing my attention very well and I often times just kind of felt forced to the page to finish it. This doesn’t mean there are other readers out there that won’t think this is better than sliced bread, it just wasn’t for me. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments below.
My Rating: 6/10
June 13, 2013
I was introduced to the world of Dungeons & Dragons when I was in 8th grade, and I have been a HUGE fan of fantasy ever since. I’m not sure what it is that draws me, but I can tell you that the diversity of races and creatures is a large part of it. However, even back then, there were a few species of creatures within the D&D world that made me wonder why they were even there. Gnomes are a perfect example of this: to me, they are basically dwarves with a penchant for inventing. Author Kenny Soward turns this stereotype on its ear with ROUGH MAGIC, the first book of the GnomeSaga. Soward gives us a vastly entertaining tale and shows us that gnomes are much more than we perceive them to be.
The quality of self-published work that I’ve been running across lately continues to impress me. The writing, the editing, the cover art...it all screams ‘professional grade�. This is a huge testament to the authors for the amount of time and effort they are putting into their work. ROUGH MAGIC is a prime example of this.
This book is written very well and has a nice flow to it. The author’s writing style is simple and no-nonsense. He does a great job of describing without overwhelming the reader. There are many fantasy authors out there that put painstaking detail into their books and, while this is commendable, it sometimes bogs down the story. That’s definitely not the case here.
The characters in ROUGH MAGIC are fleshed out well and the world-building is top notch, although I hope the future volumes give us a glimpse of the world outside of Hightower. The action is intense and the magic is unique. There’s really not much more you could ask for in a fantasy novel.
The way the gnomes are portrayed in this book, however, is what wins the gold medal for me. Whereas many fantasy novels portray these beings as aloof and goofy, Soward takes a different approach and makes them, well, bad-ass. I commend him for his different perspective and can’t wait to see where the story goes in future books.
ROUGH MAGIC is an excellent addition to the genre, and I highly recommend it. The book is available now in a variety of formats, so give it a look for sure.
The quality of self-published work that I’ve been running across lately continues to impress me. The writing, the editing, the cover art...it all screams ‘professional grade�. This is a huge testament to the authors for the amount of time and effort they are putting into their work. ROUGH MAGIC is a prime example of this.
This book is written very well and has a nice flow to it. The author’s writing style is simple and no-nonsense. He does a great job of describing without overwhelming the reader. There are many fantasy authors out there that put painstaking detail into their books and, while this is commendable, it sometimes bogs down the story. That’s definitely not the case here.
The characters in ROUGH MAGIC are fleshed out well and the world-building is top notch, although I hope the future volumes give us a glimpse of the world outside of Hightower. The action is intense and the magic is unique. There’s really not much more you could ask for in a fantasy novel.
The way the gnomes are portrayed in this book, however, is what wins the gold medal for me. Whereas many fantasy novels portray these beings as aloof and goofy, Soward takes a different approach and makes them, well, bad-ass. I commend him for his different perspective and can’t wait to see where the story goes in future books.
ROUGH MAGIC is an excellent addition to the genre, and I highly recommend it. The book is available now in a variety of formats, so give it a look for sure.
May 15, 2015
Enjoyable, if a little hard to initially get into.
It's refreshing to find a fantasy book that isn't all about politics, religion, or any kind of large statements or allegories. Instead we are presented with two, for now, separate plots of two siblings, Niksabella and Nikselpik. The former is your typical tinkering gnome, who doesn't know when to leave well enough alone. The latter is 'dark wizard' who screws with things others leave well enough alone. Both are antiheroes to varying degrees, and that is likely the reason why it is hard to get into at first. But if you stick around you see a decent amount of logical and believable growth. Niksabella starts out as an untrusting shut-in and later learns that that was for the best, but grows anyway. Her brother is a drugged jerk that no one really likes except for his closest friends, but then he is forced to prove himself. So, typical stories but not typical characters.
I ended up liking the brother's plotline more as he was the deeper, more interesting character that was given better opportunities to show off. This included seeing some pretty dark stuff that, surprise, could best be fought off because he was kind of a dark guy himself. Makes for an interesting story. Niksabella on the other hand? UGH! I am so tired of the 'spunky genius gets railroaded and crushed by the well like corrupt politician' plot. HOWEVER, I foresee good things coming from her, she really is a good character.
One of the better straight up entertainment fantasy books I've finished in a while. I'll finish the series, so it made enough of an impact on me for that. I recommend it to any fans of fantasy that miss the days of just stories or fairytales and none of that thinking stuff. That or if you like gnomes a lot. Seriously, it was weird imagining some of those scenes.
It's refreshing to find a fantasy book that isn't all about politics, religion, or any kind of large statements or allegories. Instead we are presented with two, for now, separate plots of two siblings, Niksabella and Nikselpik. The former is your typical tinkering gnome, who doesn't know when to leave well enough alone. The latter is 'dark wizard' who screws with things others leave well enough alone. Both are antiheroes to varying degrees, and that is likely the reason why it is hard to get into at first. But if you stick around you see a decent amount of logical and believable growth. Niksabella starts out as an untrusting shut-in and later learns that that was for the best, but grows anyway. Her brother is a drugged jerk that no one really likes except for his closest friends, but then he is forced to prove himself. So, typical stories but not typical characters.
I ended up liking the brother's plotline more as he was the deeper, more interesting character that was given better opportunities to show off. This included seeing some pretty dark stuff that, surprise, could best be fought off because he was kind of a dark guy himself. Makes for an interesting story. Niksabella on the other hand? UGH! I am so tired of the 'spunky genius gets railroaded and crushed by the well like corrupt politician' plot. HOWEVER, I foresee good things coming from her, she really is a good character.
One of the better straight up entertainment fantasy books I've finished in a while. I'll finish the series, so it made enough of an impact on me for that. I recommend it to any fans of fantasy that miss the days of just stories or fairytales and none of that thinking stuff. That or if you like gnomes a lot. Seriously, it was weird imagining some of those scenes.
October 14, 2014
**Usual ARC disclaimer** Free book for ME in exchange, yada, yada, yada fair and balanced review**
Ragnorak is re-releasing Kenny Soward's "GnomeSaga"--available on Amazon, but not yet for B&N....
GnomeSaga is the tale of two siblings, Nikselpik and Niksabella Nur. Nik is a gnome wizard, and Nika is a gnome tinkerer, with some magick, but is largely untrained.
Nika's latest invention has the ability to determine the fates of many across the dimensions; Nik is valuable in the fight against the forces sent from those other dimensions.
This was a very interesting story. It's not often that you get a fantasy story that mixes in technology, but it was refreshing. Many times when you read a fantasy story, you get the sense of ancient societies that are still in the Earth equivalent of the Dark or Middle Ages... and, yet, in reality, no society can remain that way forever--it would collapse. So, here, while you have a world that easily fits into the typical fantasy milieu, it has touches of what would be familiar in the 1950s or 60s. An interesting juxtaposition that works, I think.
The characters are interesting, although I find Niksabella to be a little uneven. On the one hand, she seems very naive and somewhat innocent, but then something will happen and you sit there going "That's not how I thought she'd react....." There are two more books in the saga, so I'm hoping that character inconsistencies will be resolved.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Mr. Soward ended on a cliff-hanger, so until the next book comes out, I will be cursing his name.....*shakes fist in his direction* ;-)
Ragnorak is re-releasing Kenny Soward's "GnomeSaga"--available on Amazon, but not yet for B&N....
GnomeSaga is the tale of two siblings, Nikselpik and Niksabella Nur. Nik is a gnome wizard, and Nika is a gnome tinkerer, with some magick, but is largely untrained.
Nika's latest invention has the ability to determine the fates of many across the dimensions; Nik is valuable in the fight against the forces sent from those other dimensions.
This was a very interesting story. It's not often that you get a fantasy story that mixes in technology, but it was refreshing. Many times when you read a fantasy story, you get the sense of ancient societies that are still in the Earth equivalent of the Dark or Middle Ages... and, yet, in reality, no society can remain that way forever--it would collapse. So, here, while you have a world that easily fits into the typical fantasy milieu, it has touches of what would be familiar in the 1950s or 60s. An interesting juxtaposition that works, I think.
The characters are interesting, although I find Niksabella to be a little uneven. On the one hand, she seems very naive and somewhat innocent, but then something will happen and you sit there going "That's not how I thought she'd react....." There are two more books in the saga, so I'm hoping that character inconsistencies will be resolved.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Mr. Soward ended on a cliff-hanger, so until the next book comes out, I will be cursing his name.....*shakes fist in his direction* ;-)
February 23, 2015
I read this book after seeing a recommendation for it by another author, Tim Marquitz. Well thanks Tim, because this was an absolute blast to read. Incredibly creative (Gnomes as the main characters?), laugh out loud funny and grim as could be by turns, it was absolutely amazing word crafting by the author.This is a very well detailed book, with a nicely developed world (a city-state run by gnomes) that is in turns magical and base, innovative and repressive and honorable and corrupt in turns. The tension between the two Gnome siblings, Niksabella and Nikselpik Nur is well balanced with the genuine feelings they have for each other. Both are outcasts in their own right, but are both talented and fighters for themselves in the end. The fight scenes are excellently staged, and leave you satisfied while wanting more. What more can you ask for a book? The cast of characters is diverse and original, especially the Stonekin and the Gnomes. The villains are just that, villainous, and you will loath them too, which is what a good villain in a book should bring out of the reader. Add in some excellent melding of magic and science with a dash of steampunk, and you have an incredibly original story that you won't want to put down. The audio version is narrated by Scott Aiello, who does a great job of bringing the characters to life. Now I have to go get book 2, Tinkermage. Any fans of writers like Tim Marquitz, Robert Kroese and Ari Marmell will enjoy these books.
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