by Chris Fox
Previously on Void Wyrm
Void Wyrm kicked off with Voria returning home to find herself on trial. We’re introduced to the tribunal, which consists of Admiral Nimitz from Ternus, Skare from the Inuran Consortium, and Ducius from Shaya.
Ducius turns out to be Thalas (Dick Sock)’s father, and is more than a little pissed that his son died. He’s determined to see Voria executed, and lobbies hard for that. Skare, who looks a bit like Rick from Rick and Morty, remains impartial. Nimitz wants Voria prosecuted, because of the catastrophic losses to the Marines on Marid.
Mid-trial the Tender and Voria’s famous war mage father, Dirk, show up to offer testimony. Aurelia (the Tender) reveals that it was her augury that caused Voria to act as she did, and begs leniency. There’s some posturing, a vote, and Voria is stripped of command and demoted to the rank of captain.
She’s understandably discouraged, but Aurelia and her father offer hope. Aurelia has another augury, this one pointing to a world in the Umbral Depths. They can get her a broken down piece of crap ship, if she can find a crew. Voria realizes that a loophole will allow everyone to take four weeks of leave after their campaign on Marid.
While all this has been going on, Aran has been enrolled in a war mage Kamiza (martial arts dojo), under the tutelage of Ree, an insufferable Shayan noble who addresses Aran as Mongrel. She’s racist against drifters, and she’s mean to Nara. Yeah, we don’t like her.
The master of the Kamiza, Erika, is one of the most famous war mages in the sector. She’s also working for Nebiat, and has been bound for decades. She dangles Aran’s past in front of him, offering to tell him about the Outriders. But first, he needs to prove himself through training.
He gets a montage (montage!), and improves his physical conditioning and combat abilities. Then, we switch over to Nara.
Nara has been enrolled at the Temple of Enlightenment, the Shayan university devoted to magic. She’s greeted by a strange flaming girl who introduces herself as Frit. Frit is the emo goth kid from every CW show, except that she’s an Ifrit, with void flame. She becomes Nara’s only friend and ally at the temple, against her new Master…a dick by the name of Eros.
Eros is the archmage who runs the Temple, and one of the foremost mages in the sector. He refers to Nara as Pirate Girl, and generally treats her like garbage. But he does teach her how to duel, and how to hard cast spells. The very first thing he does is disintegrate her spellpistol so she’ll have to rely on her own casting.
After Nara’s montage, Aran gets word that one of the stipulations in Voria’s trial concerned him. Instead of being awarded a whole bunch of medals, he’s being given no special commendation. Instead, all his medals are going to Thalas posthumously. They’re honoring the racist guy who expended Marines like bullets, and Aran is less than thrilled.
He rushes off to Voria, and she, of course, ropes him into this new quest to go into the Umbral Depths. This time they’re after a world there that Aurelia discovered, and she believes there is a tool of incalculable power there (spoilers, there is). She asks Aran to convinces Crewes, Bord, and Kezia to join them, while she heads off to convince Nara.
Aran starts with Crewes, and we get our first look at Crewes’s home life. He’s staying with his mom, who’s not at all impressed by him, and likes to drink warm beer (who does that?). He’s more than happy to go with Aran just to get out of there, particularly because it turns out the prosecutor in Voria’s trial was his own brother.
Aran has less luck with Bord and Kezia. Kez is unwilling to leave her family without more to go on, and it’s clear that Bord has it bad for Kezia, so he stays too. Aran and Crewes return alone to Voria’s new ship…the Big Texas.
The Big Texas is a broken down Ternus cruiser that the Serenity would look down her nose at, and it comes complete with its own mechanic. Pickus is a technological wiz, but knows absolutely nothing about magic.
They leave Shaya, but on their way to the planet’s umbral shadow they’re attacked by a massive air Wyrm. It turns out to be Khalahk, a Wyrm from Virkonna. He’s there because Nebiat told him about Aran, who Khal blames for killing his grandson Rolf (see The Heart of Nefarius for details).
Khal far outclasses the Texas, but Aran launches a daring plan and they manage to slip away into the darkness while something large, dark, and tentacled wrestles with the Wyrm.
The Texas is a huge mess badly in need of repairs, and Pickus proves his ingenuity. He keeps the vessel limping along long enough for them to find the planet from Aurelia’s augury. It is shrouded in darkness, but as they approach, magma balls streak up from the surface and slam into the Texas.
The already damaged vessel breaks into two pieces, with Nara and Aran being flung one way, while Pickus, Crewes, and Voria are flung another. When they land they are assaulted by arachnidrakes, which are just what they sound like…disgusting spider dragons. Eww.
Nara summons a giant illusion of Drakkon, which scares them off long enough for our heroes to sneak away. They find a little cave and batten down while they try to figure out where they are and what they’re supposed to do.
Aurelia’s augury is guiding them toward a large mountain, which they can see in the distance. Unfortunately, in order for them to fly the several kilometers to get there they need to brave the arachnidrakes again. That’s suicidal without some sort of distraction. Crewes volunteers, but before he can do so they hear a commotion in the distance.
Khalahk has arrived, and is tearing apart arachnidrakes and the remains of the Texas, clearly searching for them. They use him as a distraction and make a break for the mountain.
Yay, they make it! They’re greeted by a more civilized looking arachnidrake who claims to be a custodian. They are, unsurprisingly, expected by the goddess it works for. He gives them quarters to rest in, so they may prepare for an audience with the Keeper of Secrets, Neith.
Voria is brought first. Before arriving she spends a little time in the library, which purports to hold all knowledge, all the way back to the beginning of time. Voria investigates Nebiat, and learns that she’s loose on Shaya. Not only is Erika bound, but she helps Nebiat bind Voria’s father, Dirk. Her plan is to not only murder the Tender, but cause a civil war between the drifters and the Shayans.
Voria is understandably pissed, and also emotionally scarred, since she saw her father naked. She goes to her audience with Neith, who is *drumroll* a really big arachnidrake. Shocking, I know. Neith explains to Voria that she has manipulated events to lead to this moment, that Khalahk attacking was necessary to them being able to reach this place.
She explains about the First Spellship, which Voria will need to find if she’s ever to beat Krox. To this end, Neith gives her the ability to perceive possibilities like a god. She also gives her a potent Eldimagus with its own personality…which likes poop jokes. Ikadra the staff is the key to the First Spellship, and also acts as a spell matrix for the Talon, the vessel Neith provides them to get home. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Aran also has an audience with Neith, and finally learns about his past. Neith shows him formative scenes from Aran’s upbringing on Virkonna, and drops the shocking revelation that Aran’s entire life has been sabotaged to make him unremarkable. This hid him from Neith’s enemies, and allowed him to reach this moment.
Aran was an unremarkable Outrider, but now Neith needs him to be an unstoppable killing machine. Neith grants Aran upgraded fire magic, which allows him to be both faster and stronger. She also enhances Aran’s armor with the same ability, and catalyzes Aran’s as yet unnamed sword with fire magic, making it even stronger.
Nara has a similar audience, and is given vastly increased cognitive ability. She’s offered her past, but declines, saying she doesn’t really want to be that woman any more. The past is best left right where it is.
Pickus and Crewes also get cool fire magic powers, and the crew rockets back to Virkonna. Khalahk ambushes them again, of course, but this time they’re armed with a state of the art spellshi
p, and thanks largely to Aran’s ingenuity they whoop his scaly ass.
They arrive back at Shaya and immediately divide forces. Voria takes Ikadra to see if she can reach Aurelia before Nebiat begins her attack. Everyone else goes with Aran to stop Voria’s father from igniting a civil war by crushing one of the largest drifter cities with one of Shaya’s own limbs.
Aran, Nara, and Crewes join forces with snotty Ree and her war mages. They battle their own master, Erika, who cuts down most of the war mages and flees to join Dirk. Aran presses the attack, and they catch up to Dirk, Erika, and Eros. They’ve all been bound, and are working together on a potent ritual.
Erika and Dirk engage Aran and his ragtag band, while Nara tries to stop Eros from finishing his ritual. She realizes that, if completed, it will summon the heart of a star into the tree, causing a massive explosion. The 2nd burl will be blown off the tree, and onto the community below.
Nara quickly modifies the spell to convert heat into light, reducing the power of the explosion. Aran has an epic fight with Dirk. He and Crewes barely take him down, but Aran pulls it out at the last second. Almost as if the author planned it that way, somehow.
The explosion happens and they’re sent spinning out into the air miles above the ground. Pickus uses his new fire magic to pilot the Talon to them, and they use it to blast the second burl into chunks of wood. Those chunks land safely outside the city, and not only does this save the drifters, but they’re able to loot the hyper valuable shayawood, and bring a massive amount of wealth into their impoverished community.
Dirk dies, but Erika and Eros are both saved.
Meanwhile Voria and Ikadra show up at the Tender’s palace and witness a massive magical battle between Aurelia and Nebiat. The palace is shredded as Voria uses Ikadra to add her own powerful spells.
Aurelia has clearly been poisoned, and badly needs the help. Together they drive Nebiat off, but Aurelia is killed in the process. Nebiat has won. She morphs into a bird and leads the Shayan spellfighters on a chase before escaping back into the city below.
Eros is selected by Aurelia as the new Tender, once the bindings have successfully been removed. Nara and Aran both go back to studying in their respective schools, and Voria’s rank and reputation are reinstated.
The final chapter of the book was from Frit’s point of view. She seemed like a minor character, but in this scene she longs to be free. While she is pining, a tiny dragon lands outside her window, and introduces herself as Nebiat. She has plans for Frit. Very important plans muhahahahha.
Three months have passed. Aran and his company have been called upon countless times to hunt down binders. They are doing everything in their power to eradicate the Krox influence on their world, but it isn’t enough.
… Welcome to Spellship
Previously on Spellship
Spellship kicks off with a new character, Kahotep—the son of Nebiat. Kaho is a true mage, and his brother Tobek is a war mage. Right off the bat, fans were like, oh, man—can’t wait to see these guys go up against Aran, Nara, and Crewes.
Well, you didn’t have to wait long. By Chapter 2, it’s all pew, pew, pew, whoomp, BOOM. Aran leads his company to assault the manor where Kaho and his companions are holed up. Nebiat slips out the back, and her hatchlings stay behind to delay Aran and the others.
Ree shows up in a spellfighter with her partner and wrecks Aran’s ambush. Thankfully, Frit has been attached to Aran’s company and turns the tide by raining voidflame down on their opponents.
Aran goes toe-to-toe with Tobek, the war mage, and they end up in a shocking stalemate, almost as if the author was setting up a confrontation at the end of the book. Aran is at a disadvantage, because he lacks spellarmor, while Tobek has a supercool suit of black spellarmor complete with screaming souls all along the surface. Every time Tobek kills someone, their soul is added.
Anyway, Tobek and Kaho escape through a Fissure. Aran and his company find Caretaker Grahl—the target of their raid—dead of self-inflicted wounds. Their mission was a success, but they’re all worried about the hatchlings who got away.
We cut to Frit, who is meeting with Nebiat in a small cafe. Frit has never been allowed to eat food, or to have a public holiday. Nebiat uses illusion to cloak them both so Frit can blend in and experience what freedom feels like. Frit realizes she’s being manipulated, but thus far, Nebiat hasn’t asked anything of her. She’s been nothing but friendly and sympathetic.
Meanwhile, Voria visits Eros, who is failing badly to use the Mirror of Shaya that we saw Aurelia use in the previous book. Eros reinstates Voria’s former rank of Major, and gives her back the Wyrm Hunter, which has been repaired over the three-month gap from Void Wyrm to Spellship.
Eros asks Voria to travel to Virkonna to beg for an alliance, which they both know the Last Dragonflight will never grant. It’s a cover story, because Voria believes the First Spellship is located somewhere on that world. She agrees, of course, because plot.
Aran finally has a day off, and is alone on the Talon. He’s just sitting down to check out a holovid when he’s attacked by a masked assassin. Let’s call her a dragon ninja because she’s from Virkonna and looks like a ninja. They aren’t actually called dragon ninjas in the book or the lore or anything, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get t-shirts made.
Anyway, Aran battles dragon ninja chick to a standstill, but the fight is interrupted when Nara comes back unexpectedly. The assassin flees, and Aran shares what he learns, which isn’t much. The woman was from Virkonna, and has come to satisfy her honor. Aran guesses it might have something to do with him having killed a dragon.
Voria returns to the Hunter and assumes command, but finds out that there’s a hitch. She’s in charge of the vessel, but has no authority over Davidson and his battalion. Ternus is no longer willing to trust her with troops, which stings, and means she’s basically a glorified taxi service. She accepts the situation, and meets briefly with Pickus. He’s given life magic by Shaya. We approve, because Pickus is cool.
We flip back to Kaho, who is meeting with the Council of Wyrms on Virkonna. This gives us our first glimpse at their culture, where dragons rule over humans. Kaho attempts to convince the council to ally with the Krox, instead of the Confederacy. He argues that they are dragon slayers, and provides proof of Khalahk’s death. He implicates Aran for the murder.
Back on Shaya, Kazon arrives to speak with Aran. He tells him that he’s done some digging around Nara’s past, and worries that she’s still a threat. He knows Aran trusts her, but cautions that she was a different person before, and could still be dangerous. Crazy, right?
Kazon brings a fancy new set of spellarmor for Aran, which allows several new tricks. It can go into storage mode and become a little bracelet, which makes it portable. It allows him to cast spells directly through the fists, so he doesn’t need a spellrifle to fire them. The armor also redirects kinetic force as long as Aran has void magic to fuel it. All three features become important later, so I had to introduce them here to make them plausible. =p
Savvy readers also noted two facts. Aran felt like he wasn’t alone in the armor when he first entered, and Ikadra told Voria that Kazon’s ship (made from the same metal) made him uncomfortable because he couldn’t pierce it with magical scans. That kind of magitech shouldn’t be available in this era. Voria notes his concern, but since she has bigger Wyrms to fry she takes no immediate action.
The Wyrm Hunter travels through the Umbral Depths to reach Virkonna, and they are greeted by the largest Wyrm in the sector. Cerberus snaps up the Hunter in his jaws, but rather than crush them, brings them down to the planet like a dog returning a toy to its master. Who’s a good dragon? Cerberus!
They’re escorted to the Council of Wyrms, where Voria pleads their case. The Wyrms refuse to ally with them, and demand that Aran be punished as a Wyrm Slayer. The mysterious (terribly mysterious) assassin turns out to be Aran’s sister Astria, from the visions that Neith shared with him. She pleads his case, and
gets the Wyrms to agree to allow Aran to perform a March of Honor.
Unfortunately, a March of Honor is just a pretty way to commit suicide. You march across a drake-filled valley, and if you reach the Temple of Virkonna, your enemies get to line up to kick your ass. You fight your way through all of them, and if you reach the top, are judged by Virkonna. No one reaches the top.
But, of course, Aran is wearing a Breastplate of Plot Armor and we know he’s going to survive somehow. Aran undergoes the march and fights his way past drakes. He’s forced to go alone, but his sister Astria is not so secretly shadowing him.
Meanwhile, Voria is trying to forge some sort of alliance with Olyssa, the only Wyrm Mother who seems at all sympathetic to their cause. Olyssa explains that her rival, Aurelius, is gaining in strength, while her faction is weakening. They’ve recently lost Khalahk, Rolf, and several other powerful Wyrms.
While there, we’re shown that Wyrms like parties, and that they like to party in human form. Their favorite activity is a game that resembles Go, called Kem’Hedj. A few very astute readers correctly pointed out that the name is Egyptian for ‘Black, White.’
Voria turns out to be a master, because she can see possibilities. It lets her cheat, and she kicks the crap out of Aurelius. Unfortunately, Kaho is there and sees her do it. Voria is carrying Ikadra at the time, and Voria worries that they may understand the staff’s purpose. She retreats back to her ship to see if she can deduce their plans with her new abilities.
Nara spends her time at the local Temple of Virkonna, which includes a massive library. She’s been assigned to find the Spellship, but has very little to go on. Her only clue is that the Wyrm Father of Life, one of the two aspects needed to create the Spellship, has removed all mention of himself from history.
At the temple, Nara meets the comic relief. She’s introduced to Ismene, a pretty young acolyte, and her pet drake, Pytho. Between the two of them, they piece together that the Spellship’s magical signature is too massive to hide…unless you hide it beneath another, more powerful signature. Like Virkonna herself.
