Genre:
Fantasy/Adventure/Alternative History
Description:
“Nobody
messes with a Dalmyn wagon train. That is the credo of Dalmyn
Cartage, and their drivers and guards are up to the task of keeping
it that way.
Until
Aleria anDalmyn goes out on her first assignment as wagonmaster and
runs into a simmering quarrel involving an ancient boundary dispute
and forbidden Mechanical weapons. And a Ghost Beast from an ancient
tale, which Aleria would prefer not to believe in until the mutilated
bodies persuade her otherwise.
Trapped
in the suffocating depths of a crumbling mountain fortress by an
ambitious and relentless foe, Aleria struggles to survive as her
small party gets whittled down and her confidence in her ability to
do her duty fades.
Even
the sturdy presence of her guard Captain, Erlon, with his
hand-and-a-half sword, and the handsome but diffident Kolwyn
anLlannon, inheritor of the lore of the Old Ones, can protect her
party if she makes the wrong move.”
Author:
“Brought
up in a logging camp with no electricity, Gordon Long learned his
storytelling in the traditional way: at his father’s knee. He now
spends his time editing, publishing, travelling, blogging and writing
fantasy and social commentary, although sometimes the boundaries
blur.
Gordon
lives in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, with his wife, Linda, and
their Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Josh.”
Please
check out Mr. Long’s other books on his website. He is also a
contributing author for Indies Unlimited.
Appraisal:
Aleria
anDalmyn is coming into her own in Mountains
of Mischief. New
characters are introduced that I believe are going to be around for a
while. The plot is compelling and dangerous at times. Aleria is
promoted to Wagonmaster and is unknowingly carting illegal contraband
on this first outing. As a result, loading the wagons has to change
at Dalmyn Cartage and no last minute cargo will be accepted. When the
King hears a report of the situation Dalmyn Cartage had to deal with
he becomes alarmed at the unrest that is happening between some of
his domains. Some of the warring is caused by undefined borders, some
are caused by the grand designs from an overzealous Lord.
When
Lord Raif gets orders from the King to ask Aleria if she would be
willing to go do some reconnaissance and emissary work for the throne
the next time she leads a Dalmyn wagon train out to make deliveries?
Lord anDalmyn sees a business opportunity to expand their services to
domains in outlying areas up into the mountains and down into an area
called the Trench. This route would make a huge circle coming back
into Kingsport on the far side. Aleria agrees as long she gets to
pick her own crew, add an outrider, and extra guards on this mission.
Gordon
A. Long does an excellent job rounding out his secondary characters,
and painting the pictures of the landscapes as they change
dramatically. I love the way he uses dialogue and emotions with all
his characters, the reader can really get a good feel of who they are
through their speech. The story is mainly told through Aleria’s
eyes and occasionally we are given insights into her thoughts. She is
insecure about her abilities at times but is able to confront her
fears while showing her crew a stoic face. I have learned to love her
as she matures into her own, she is smart, determined and spunky. She
is good at taking charge and clever enough to turn events to her own
advantage.
When
the wagons get to Tyn Terfyn, Aleria and Erlon are treated to legends
of the Old Ones, Tyn Dyfnant, and the Ghost Beast higher in the
mountains. The well-developed plot takes off with several twists and
unexpected events as Aleria and Erlon gather a small crew to
accompany Kolwyn, the Lord’s son, up into uncharted territory.
Kolwyn and a couple of shepherds serve as guides to explore the
abandoned and crumbling Tyn Dyfnant for the existence of old maps.
Knowing full well they are entering the sanctum of the Ghost Beast.
FYI:
Mountains
of Mischief is Book 3 in
the World of Change
series. Could possibly be read as a standalone but I would suggest
reading Out of Mischief
and Into Trouble
first for a fuller understanding of Aleria, Kensel (her father),
Maddoes, and Lord Raif.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No
significant issues.
Rating:
***** Five Stars
Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
Approximate
word count: 105-110,000
words
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