Beyond Redemption: Manifest Delusions, Book 1

This was a dark fantasy, really grimdark, an extraordinarily grim and dark tale at times, often in bleak settings. Not the bleakness of a sandy wasteland, or a barren granite wilderness, no, the bleakness of rotting, stinking, slimy medieval towns at their very, very worse. Though there was some beauty in the world, it was most often beauty despite the works of mankind, not because of it, and often seemed beautiful only in contrast to the squalor of so many of the towns, cities, and encampments of this novel. Unremarkable green woodlands and fields, nice because they were clean and in sharp contrast to most of the novel’s setting, lacking the poverty and squalor of the works of humanity. What I am saying is this isn’t Middle-earth. It isn’t the Shire or Gondor or Rohan. It isn’t even the exotic hellish evil of Mordor. It is mud streets and sewage and misery. Is there wonder though? Is there a sense of mystery? Yes, most definitely yes to both questions. Here though, in this world, the wonder is in the infinite possibilities of the mind and the powers of belief and of delusion. The setting succeeds more than most other works of fantasy in depicting the magical powers of the human mind, making all others seem…well, not weak, there are some definitely great works out there, but shall we say not even using a respectable fraction of the potential available to the writer. There are no wizards or druids or alchemists in this book (though there is a shaman and even a scientist). We get instead a rich and fascinating rogue’s gallery of many surprising and wonderous types of people who can tap the powers of delusion, insanity, and most of all belief. The author, drawing upon what seems considerable research on a number of rare mental disorders, some I had heard of, many I hadn’t, uses this research to give the reader a surprising and highly inventive word of Cotardists and Mirrorists and Gefahrgeists, of Dopplegangists and Therianthropes and Meheres. In this world, to be sane is to be weak (or is it?); certainly being insane can give you vast magical powers, powers that can potentially be so strong that one can change the very nature of reality. Further, belief matters, belief in oneself, belief in how one manipulates reality, and most of all what others believe; the more a populace believes someone has power or some great quality, the more powerful or qualified that person is. This can apply to individuals, to cities or countries, and to the gods themselves, that ultimately much of anyone’s power exists in the minds of others, and to be obscure or forgotten or despised and thought weak is the worst thing, ironic in a setting where so many of these people are absolute sociopaths but also most definitely have a driving, powerful need to be believed, even loved, though they themselves are incapable of love. I don’t know if this is a scathing inditement of the world we lived in but it certainly makes for a fascinating setting. I have never seen anything like it. The book’s plot seems relatively simple at first but the author skillfully folds in more and more complications as the tale unfolds, never in such a way I felt lost or bewildered. At its core it is about two things, the first element is about Konig Furimmer, High Priest of the Geborene Damonen, Theocrat of Selbsthass, and his alliance with others, people he both needs and hates/fears/loathes, a Machiavellian alliance to use his powers of delusion and belief and most of all total control of the politics of where he is to raise a young boy, Morgen, to the level of god, a god that will love and serve Konig (in this setting anyone who dies goes into another reality called the Afterdeath, a pale, gray, washed out version of the world they just left, a world they can still die in and go…somewhere…but in this world if one dies at someone else’s hand, they then serve that person in the Afterdeath; Konig believes something similar will occur with Morgen). Morgen, a young boy of immense powers, is being groomed to be a god, one created, tailor-made, not twisted or with his own agenda like the other gods of the world, one that will serve ultimately Konig. The other core part of the narrative is that people try to mess this up, most notably a group of three anti-heroes. One is Wichtig Lugner, the World’s Greatest Swordsmen, a preening, manipulative, smooth-talking, sometimes a bit vacuous, amazingly self-centered man who looks the part of the Perfect Hero, who seeks to become indeed the World’s Greatest Swordsman not just through his skill with a blade (which is considerable) but also by getting others to believe he is the World’s Greatest Swordsman, with as mentioned in this setting belief reshaping reality. Another of this trio is Stehlen Siealles, a scary woman warrior, not a brute but fast, lithe, and bristling with hidden daggers and knives and skilled with a sword, an absolutely murderous sociopath who can barely hold on to the concept of not slaying her two companions, two people she both loves but also hates, both their savior and often moments away from being their executioner. The leader of this trio is Bedeckt Imblut, a grizzled old mercenary type, all he wants out of life is his axe, a good pair of boots, enough money to be comfortable, ale, a good time in bed, and his beloved warhorse Launisch. He isn’t a sociopath, he has no delusions about remaking reality or being the Greatest at anything, and isn’t especially murderous. He is in fact the only really sane person in the book, which is both a weakness and also a strength. While I wouldn’t call him good, he certainly has something approaching a moral compass, a sense of honor, and a concern for others, things fairly alien to most people in the book (or at best concepts familiar to others but not something that is intuitive or automatic, either a curiosity or something to be exploited). There are other flies in Konig’s ointment, including his ally Chief Scientist Aufschlag Hoher (the closest thing Konig has to a friend, though both plot against each other), Gehirn Schlechtes (a Hassebrand, with immense powers and finding much joy in producing flame merely through thought, though ultimately doomed to die of fire as all Hassebrands ultimately are fated to, who has a complex relationship with Konig), and Erbrechen Gedanke (a disgusting individual, a Slaver, who with mere words can make one a fiercely loyal servant, thinking only of serving). Oh and Konig himself, or various sentient manifestations of his delusions, delusions all scheming with and against each other to thwart the real Konig as they serve him and vying to replace him, with Konig knowing he both needs them and his ability to destroy them severely limited. The book has heists, gritty sword fights, duels, thievery, robbery, murder, huge battles, powerful magic use, no monsters per se though many of the people in the book are indeed monstrous (ok a few are essentially undead), Machiavellian scheming, palace intrigue, double crosses, and some humor (though it is definitely not a humorous book). Pacing was excellent, the setting is vivid (though often I will say gross), the different types of powerful individuals (Hassebrands, etc) are well explained with lots of showing not telling passages. There is a helpful glossary and a who’s who at the end as well. Complaints are few. I think as the book progressed Konig’s importance and certainly his page time fades some and he ends up becoming I think a little passive, though that is the nature of the story I think, as Konig sends out others to do his bidding. I am not sure I entirely understood how one scene occurred the way it did, but it is not possible to explain it without spoiling it. Sometimes a few character traits might have been emphasized a tiny bit too much (Bedeckt’s almost pneumonia at the start of the book, Stehlen’s spitting, Gehirn almost constantly on the edge of destroying herself and all around her in a fiery inferno), but this is a minor complaint. It is a really good book and Michael R. Fletcher can certainly write!

What do you get when you cross a belief-driven reality and the tortured misery of mental illness? Yeah. Fletcher explores this concept in glorious, horrible detail. It's a grimy, tainted vision, with the dark brutality of Richard K. Morgan and the brackish nihilism of Lev Grossman. While there are varyingly sympathetic characters therein, there are certainly no good ones. (A land unfit for heroes, heh) It's fascinating and powerful and really well-written. This one is going to stick in my head for years. Vastly worth reading.

*****Quotes from the book***** These nightmares define new tomorrows, and the gods look on in mute horror at what they have wrought. “There’s an inn.” Bedeckt pointed up the street. “Put your knife away, woman. Gut him after I’ve had a drink.” One truism lay underneath every choice and word: change what people think and you change the world. Only boring people get bored. Self-hatred was both a weakness and strength, a prison and protection. No one loathed her more than she and thus none could truly harm her. I don’t see what I want to see, I see what I need to see. If you don’t like it, see something else. This was the calm eye of the storm, the hot center of crumbling sanity and last hopes. In all directions the horizon coiled and heaved, a lurid bruise, a maelstrom of abhorrent neuroses given form. The sky looked sick, reality ill with gross mistreatment. The power of faith is the fear of the unknown. The power of love is the fear of dying alone. “Luckily I think much faster on my feet than I do and soon had myself tied in the fruit cellar. I’d kill myself but I’m so damned useful. Sometimes, when the High Priest has texts he wants copied, I’ll unchain one of my hands and get me to do some of the work. Of course I do it! I’m so damned bored down here, chained to the wall.” Forests always hid things. Spill blood, and the ground soaked it up in seconds, forever hiding the violence. At least on a city street the blood stayed around for a few days, giving testament to the work done. The doing is the easy part. It’s the deciding to do that is difficult. I most regret the decisions never made. ***** End of book quotes***** Wow, this was … lonely. The book follows a few storylines. Basically, boiled way way down, there’s a crazy guy trying to create a god. There’s people trying to exploit said would-be god, there’s people set out to assassinate, there’s people sent to investigate, and there’s a mind-controlling crazy person that wants to enslave the world. The reason I say it was lonely is because it was. None of the characters trusted anyone. They might’ve wanted to, but they couldn’t bring themselves to do so. And that added a tone of hopelessness to the storylines. Now, all of characters are heavy on the not-so-great personality traits and they are well aware of said traits, which they seem fine having. It all added up to an unsavory group that you want more for, that you root for despite some of their appalling actions. What was utterly captivating to me was the take on magic/power. Magic/power eventually turns any person possessing it insane. It was incredible to watch characters deteriorate along the way. They know it’s going to happen, which makes it all the more interesting. I’ve read books before that had interesting premises/characters but I never fell in love with the book, so it’s hard for me to understand why I loved this one over those. I guess I was hoping some hope would come along and I read to find some. It could’ve been how insanely fun reading about the insane people was. Or it could have been the breadth of different characters, all bad, all hopeless, all alone but wanting not to be. It could have been how wildly unique the take on gods and magic was, to me at least. It could have simply been the tone of the author. It’s gritty. There’s s*** and piss and snot and blood and orgies. Not for the faint of heart. Any one looking for a remotely heroic character need not read. I found it refreshing. I found it incredibly interesting. I will say when looking for my next book I picked up something lighter with the potential of a happy ending and a hero to save the day. Not that I gravitate toward that, but this book made me want to seek out something happy. Which, by the way, I appreciated. It took me out of the norm, and for that, I love it. The world was developed enough for me but might disappoint those huge into complicated world building. The writing was excellent, the plot moved, and I never once skimmed. There's a lot of different PoV's, but — bless Fletcher!—he actually gave space between each change. No head hopping from paragraph to paragraph!! For those who don’t like the usual hero tropes, please pick this up. For those who like a darker side of characters, you need to read this. For those seeking a different take on magic and can handle unsavory characters, it’s a must read. P.S. I could've quoted this book all day. It took me a while to edit down my choices so this whole thing wasn't just his book.

Honestly wasn't expecting to much from this story. I figured I'd get bored and jump to the end,but this turned out to be right up my alley. What you get is a dark and gritty story filled with some very dysfunctional people. The characters are written very well. Like them or not, you'll definitely know what kind of person they are. The story is pretty good, the world was okay, but the characters are what stands out. Give it a try.

I liked the overall premise of this story, however the novel is not without its problems. The best thing about this book is the magic system based on mental illness. It is original and very well thought out. The characters, while mostly underwhelming, are fully realized and dynamic. Two characters in particular, named Ebrechen and Witchtig, I thoroughly enjoyed. Others, like Gehirn and Konig, were quite monotonous and predictable. The writing itself is decent. Nothing spectacular, but the author does a excellent job with balancing descriptions, dialogue and pacing. There is a lot of repeating descriptions of characters and their attitudes to needlessly fill page space. Now on to the "super grimdark" reputation of this book. Is it? Well, yes, it's a grimdark fantasy for certain; but really, there was only a handful of shocking scenes. And less than a handful of brutal, detailed battle scenes. The truth is 75% of this book is a macabre comedy, almost like a depressing version of the drunken three stooges. I liked it, but not as much as I thought I would. Entertaining but far from a classic.

This is a fantastic read. I'm loathe to give it 5 stars as the Amazon rankings are so flooded by fake praise, but it really does deserve it and so voila, 5 stars it is. It's a difficult book to explain other than it's decidedly Grimdark in nature, but unlike some of Abercrombie's novels where I thought he went a little too bleak with the characters, despite certain characters meeting their unfortunate ends, it finished in such a way that it opened the door for more crazy adventures to come. Ultimately the plot is based around two concepts: 1. if you kill someone they are forced to serve you in the afterdeath (but you are in turn forced to serve who killed you - ie an insane, never-ending cycle). 2. By creating a God through belief and killing it, this God will then serve you. Of course it goes far deeper than that, but that's the foundations of how it all begins. But the real joy of this book is the way the author skillfully deals with insanity - effectively everyone is afflicted with varying degrees of mental illness, but these delusional beings are empowered with abilities. The more insane they are the stronger they become until such time that they lose it and become all-powerful before meeting their end. It's just such an interesting and refreshingly different concept. And more - the author has gone with a German naming system which perfectly matches it (unless you're German unfortunately in which case the book reads in an odd way). In the early parts of the book I was uncertain as this is most definitely not a pleasant world to be visiting. It's dark, grimy and full of phlegm (literally!) - but damn if it's not an interesting story with an entire cast of interesting, highly sympathetic characters. Of particular interest was the intrigue and scheming of the various reflections found in mirrors - the whole mirrorist element was just so good. Anyway as I said above, it's hard to describe this book in such a way that does it justice. I picked it up on a whim based on the interesting cover (i'm a sucker for warrior art) - but now having just finished it, offer it full praise and my sincere recommendation. Wishing success to Michael going forward, keen to pick up another tale in this fascinating, ripe for exploration, world. *edit - this was kindle, not paperback, not that it makes any difference.

*Original review on Goodreads & My Blog* Well that was different. It didn't seem like a grimdark to me but I'm crazy so who knows. At first I was finding the book boring but I kept going and it turned out rather good =) Yes, there are all kinds of killings and some narley stuff with mirrors (don't ask) but it was good! Here we have the 3 stooges who hate each other more than anything (not really) and they are rather funny. I just wish the Stehlen wouldn't spit every 5 minutes and Bedeckt with his sinus infection! Dear God! And Wichtig who was full of himself. I loved them 😄 EXCERPT Ignoring Wichtig, Bedeckt continued. "We work together. We're a team. A sh*te team, but we get things done. We aren't friends and we sure as sh*te aren't lovers. Never forget: I'd kill either of you if there was money in it for me." "Stop it, I'm getting all misty-eyed." Wichtig pretended to mop at tears. "Stehlen, throw me a few gold coins-they're probably mind anyway-and I'll bed you." Stehlen's stiletto hissed out and Wichtig laughed at her. Pretending nonchalance, he moved his horse away, carefully staying out of reach. "There's an inn." Bedeckt pointed up the street. "Put your knife away, woman. Gut him after I've had a drink." END EXCERPT Then there is Konig who is the high priest and a nutter. He also has three doppels named, Acceptance, Abandonment and Trepidation. He's up to all kinds of no good. There are some other peeps around him that aren't so bad. But my favorite parts were with the trio. EXCERPT "What the h*lls is going on in your thick skull, old man?" she demanded. "You look like you ate a cat turd." She tried to poke him again but he batted her hand away. "Ho ho! Old man is grumpy. You spend too much time thinking. Explains your cat turd face. I'll fetch idiot. Let's go back to Leichtes Haus for drinks." "Fine." Bedeckt turned into the crowd and shoved his way through. People complained only until they caught sight of his scarred face and body and the massive ax slung over his shoulder. He heard Stehlen shouting at Wichtig, "Hey, idiot! Cat-turd face needs a pint." END EXCERPT I totally wasn't expecting that ending either. Still loved the book!! Happy Reading! Mel ❤️

This is an epic grimdark fantasy novel... but it doesn't read like epics I've encountered in the past. I love fantasy, especially epic fantasy. I love the world building, the prose, the elaborate descriptions, even the wandering through woods, mountains, and cities that drive some readers crazy. Beyond Redemption has the world building, character development, and descriptions I love. At the same time, it's fast-paced, and not as lost in details as other fantasies I've read. A person who may want to get into fantasy, but is bored by long passages and prose would love Fletcher. He bridges the gap in a way I'm not used to. There is action, adventure, and always something going on, but it's not on a Michael Bay level where there is no substance or depth. A person who loves constant action can get into this book, all while a fantasy lover with a knack for psychological complexity and thorough worldbuilding in novels can also get into it. Beyond Redemption is well-balanced because of this. Fletcher has taught me that an author can be epic and engaging to various readers at the same time. I loved every minute of this book, and I only want to read more of his work. The characters he created are complicated, the world he made up is very sophisticated, and the themes he tackles, from cults to psychopathy to war and human pain, is great. The storyline reads well- a boy is trained to be a god, and this boy-god is seen as an opportunity for greedy people with different goals. The results are... well, you'll have to read it!

Fletcher is a really entertaining guy. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything, I like that a lot. He works the main characters so well, that you really become emotionally invested, or at least I did. I will definitely keep reading him.

A truly fantastic read. Dark, gritty fantasy you can sink your teeth into. In a land where belief shapes reality, High Priest Konig needs to find a way to quiet his voices before madness takes control. While the High Priest battles his doppels, three of the best anti-heroes you'll ever find are killing for gold, duelling for infamy, and struggling for sanity while fighting delusions of their own. The characters are perfectly raw, their madness both epic and original. You've never read a system of 'magic' like this, and with every page you'll fall deeper into the stunning, vulgar world Fletcher has created. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this tale, and am definitely looking forward for more.

Michael R. Fletcher schreibt nicht hauptberuflich. Es war ihm zwar eine Weile möglich, als Vollzeit-Autor zu leben, nachdem er die Vorauszahlung von Harper Voyager für seinen Grimdark-Trilogieauftakt „Beyond Redemption“ erhalten hatte, aber leider hatte der Verlag aufgrund niedriger Verkaufszahlen kein Interesse an einer Fortsetzung und Fletcher musste erneut regulär arbeiten. Das war sicher eine niederschmetternde Erfahrung, doch sie hinderte ihn nicht daran, seinen Traum weiterzuverfolgen. Er veröffentlichte den zweiten Band der „Manifest Delusions“ im Selfpublishing. Das Finale fand beim kleinen Imprint Talos eine Heimat. In dieser Geschichte steckt eine wichtige Moral: nicht jede schriftstellerische Karriere ist ein Märchen und für jemanden, der so spezielle Bücher schreibt wie Michael R. Fletcher kann es schwer sein, sich dauerhaft zu etablieren. Eine Welt, in der sich die Wahnvorstellungen der Menschen real manifestieren, kann nur von geistesgestörten Göttern erschaffen worden sein. Konig Furimmer, Oberhaupt der Geborene Damonen, glaubt das nicht. Er ist überzeugt, dass die Götter manifestierte Wahnvorstellungen der Menschen sind. Ist es möglich, einen neuen Gott zu formen? Kostbare Jahre seines Lebens widmete er der Ausbildung potenzieller Kandidat_innen. Ein letzter ist übrig: ein Junge namens Morgen. Sein Aufstieg steht kurz bevor. Die Zeit drängt, denn Konig droht, die Kontrolle über seine Halluzinationen zu verlieren. Fatalerweise bekommt eine dreiköpfige Räuberbande Wind von seinen Plänen. Konig schickt seine gefährlichste Agentin aus, um die drei festzunehmen: Gehirn Schlechtes. Doch Gehirn kann sie nicht aufhalten und schon bald versuchen auch andere Geisteskranke, Morgen in ihre Gewalt zu bringen. Das Schicksal der Welt ruht auf den Schultern des Jungen – aber verdient eine vom Wahnsinn regierte Welt überhaupt Erlösung? Habt ihr euch in der Inhaltsangabe über die seltsamen, dem Deutschen entlehnten Namen gewundert? Vor der Lektüre von „Beyond Redemption“ schenkte ich der eigenwilligen Namensgebung keine Beachtung. Erst als ich das Vorwort des Autors Michael R. Fletcher las, beschlichen mich üble Vorahnungen, denn er entschuldigt sich darin bei allen Leser_innen, die tatsächlich Deutsch sprechen. Nach den ersten Kapiteln des Trilogieauftakts wurde mir klar, dass diese prophylaktische Entschuldigung definitiv angebracht ist. Was Fletcher mit der deutschen Sprache anstellt, schmerzte mich bis in die Haarspitzen. Alle Eigennamen sind konsequent deutsch, doch es handelt sich nicht um deutsche Namen. Es sind deutsche Begriffe, die häufig negativ konnotiert sind und die er wild kombiniert, um das Wesen seiner Figuren auszudrücken, abzüglich der Umlaute, die es im Englischen nicht gibt. Ich fand das unglaublich irritierend und brauchte sehr lange, um mich damit abzufinden. Ich stolperte immer wieder darüber, was meinen Lesespaß entscheidend schmälerte. Wäre die Namensgebung jedoch mein einziges Problem mit „Beyond Redemption“, hätte ich das Buch garantiert besser bewertet. Leider hatte ich grundsätzlich Schwierigkeiten mit diesem merkwürdigen Roman und fühle mich zwiegespalten. Die Idee, ein Grimdark-Universum rund um manifestierte Wahnvorstellungen bzw. seltene psychische Erkrankungen aufzubauen, ist faszinierend und ja, „Beyond Redemption“ ist Grimdark hoch 10. Nicht aufgrund der Brutalität der Geschichte, sondern aufgrund ihrer bedrückenden, trostlosen Atmosphäre, in der sich ein interessanter, fundamentaler religiöser Konflikt verbirgt, der an die Frage nach Henne oder Ei erinnert: erschufen verrückte Götter die Welt der Menschen oder erschufen verrückte Menschen die Götter, um an irgendetwas zu glauben? Dieser interpretative Widerstreit ist der Auslöser der Handlung, denn der Hohepriester des Ordens der Geborene Damonen, Konig Furimmer (ich zucke schon wieder zusammen), will einen Gott nach seinen Vorstellungen erschaffen, um seine theologische Theorie zu beweisen und der Welt ein wenig Hoffnung zu schenken. Kein Wunder, schließt kriecht die Verzweiflung aus jeder Pore dieses Buches. Die Geisteskranken, die das Universum dominieren, leiden schrecklich unter ihren Wahnvorstellungen und den emotionalen Traumata, die sie auslösten. Nachvollziehbar, dass sie sich einen Gott wünschen, der alles in Ordnung bringt und ihnen zumindest Erlösung in Aussicht stellt. So überzeugend und originell diese Ausgangssituation auch ist, ich fühlte mich von Fletcher vollkommen alleingelassen. Ich konnte keine Bindung zu den Figuren entwickeln, denn sie sind alle völlig gestört und werden von abstoßender Verderbtheit angetrieben. Ich scheiterte an den Mauern ihrer Manien. Der Autor schubste mich in dieses Irrenhaus hinein, ohne mir zu helfen, mich zu orientieren. Daher fand ich nie richtig in die Geschichte und empfand die Lektüre als zäh, obwohl mich die Glaubwürdigkeit der Charakterisierungen beeindruckte und mich besonders das brillante Profil der Agentin Gehirn Schlechtes bewegte. Es war einfach zu viel Wahnsinn. Ich kann nicht behaupten, dass ich an „Beyond Redemption“ viel Freude hatte. Ich bin mir nicht mal sicher, ob Spaß überhaupt das Ziel des Autors Michael R. Fletcher war. Seine Geschichte strotzt vor Negativität, wie soll man da Genuss empfinden? Dennoch ist der erste Band der „Manifest Delusions“ als Vertreter des Grimdark-Subgenres bemerkenswert, weil er gänzlich ohne fremde Völker, Magie im traditionellen Sinne oder eine weltumspannende Bedrohung auskommt. Jeder Aspekt der Geschichte fußt auf den Wahnvorstellungen der Figuren. Diese Konzeption ist zweifellos außergewöhnlich und einzigartig. Vermutlich habe ich deshalb beschlossen, dem zweiten Band „The Mirror’s Truth“ trotz meiner mäßigen Bewertung eine Chance zu geben. Ich bin neugierig, ich will wissen, wie es weiter geht. Hoffentlich ist der Wahnsinn dieses Universums nicht ansteckend.

Grimdark is a subgenre of fantasy fiction. It is often described as gritty, violent and realistic. Yes, it sometimes has familiar fantasy tropes such as swords, magic and dragons, but the Grimdark book has more of what this particular reader is looking for. The Grimdark genre has some top class authors. Names such as Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, Steven Erikson and Anthony Ryan have all made their mark within the genre by releasing epic, bloody, gripping, realistic fantasy novels. I came across Michael R. Fletcher when I joined the Grimdark Facebook group. He was recommended to me by a friend (who is also a writer), so I decided to check him out. I used to read a lot of fantasy novels. A few years back I had a break and started reading a lot more horror and noir. Beyond Redemption has re-quenched my thirst for the genre! This is Fletcher’s first full Grimdark novel, and let me tell you it is a brilliant read. It’s a character driven story about the becoming of a new god from a boy groomed by a high priest called Konig. Konig is able to manifest his delusions into a twisted reality and this is where the unique magic system the flows through the book comes to life. Konig and the boy-Morgen are two of the main characters, as are a repulsive slaver called Ebrechen and three murdering thieves who are trying to make some big money from one final job together. The plot is quite simplistic. Everybody wants the boy-the slaver and the three thieves and Konig for their own purposes. It’s the depth of the characters that really make this book shine along with some imaginative magical powers. It isn’t an action-packed book in the sense that there aren’t huge battles that go on for page after page. There is action, but it’s quick, exciting and doesn’t detract from the story. The pacing is excellent and although there are some tongue-twisting words and names to get your mouth around it’s very easy to get into and I didn’t find it at all confusing. At over 500 pages long, Beyond Redemption is a big book, but it is well worth your time. Fletcher’s writing will get even better as I am sure this series will. A grimdark delight awaits those willing to give this excellent novel a go. If you are a fan of any of the above authors then I urge you to give this one a try………and don’t forget to leave a little review at Goodreads and/or Amazon when you are done

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane." By far the darkest novel I've read to date. Initially I felt maybe the grimdark genre had been pushed a few notches too far and I was sure I wouldn't be able to get behind any of the characters - Sociopaths, murderers, slavers and worse. "The real crime here is not to be found in my actions, but rather in your inability to understand their necessity. These aren’t rationalizations, they are the new truth." But as I spent more time with the characters I found myself rooting for them and their deceptions and manipulations made for intriguing plot twists. "If communication was manipulation, emotion was the fulcrum on which the leverage was applied." Dark humour and beautiful writing coupled with the darkest characters and scenarios imaginable made for a unique and riveting read. "Distant jagged forks of lightning stabbed at the ground, lighting the southern sky an actinic white and illuminating the sagging underbellies of the cancerous clouds lurking there." "His feet squelched with every step; his boots did little to keep the water out and apparently everything to keep it in." "The morning sun streamed through the open window and hammered at Bedeckt’s eyelids like it desperately needed to reach the back of his skull." "Huddled under her blankets, waiting for the dismal dregs of stained sunlight to slump beneath the horizon..." Not a book for the feint hearted. But if you like it dark, this one's definitely for you.