BOOK LAUNCH: The Magick of Chaos by Ricardo Victoria - and why you should read it!

Look, I'll be honest here - Ricardo Victoria is my buddy. We've sparred it out in gaming sessions over the years - mostly Heroclix, for those who have dabbled. He's come after my X-Men. I've gone after his Superman. War has been waged with a growl and a shake of the dice. 

He's also a damn fine writer. If you've ever read my reviews, you'll have seen his books feature. Because they're damn fine. And his new one is out today. 

Never judge a book by the cover, they say, but... well, look at this beauty. 

The Magick of Chaos is the latest in Ricardo's Tempest Blades series, and I've waxed lyrical about the earlier books in that series on this very blog. 

For the first book, The Withered King, I said that trying to contain Ricardo's ideas is "like trying to contain jelly with elastic bands. He's exuberant, he's bubbly - and he's bristling with imagination."

I said: "It's a fantasy epic. No, wait, it's an anime-style adventure. Hang on, no, it's a science fiction escapade on another world. But hold up, here are roots of Ricardo's Mexican heritage. And Celtic myth. And a cartoon team-up of mighty heroes. It is a steampunk extravaganza with a soaring airship. It is science, and magic, and the science that underpins magic. It is tragic, it is witty. It is each of these things. It is all of these things."

What was really impressive to me was the way in which that book built up his team of characters bit by bit, layer by layer, so you were never overwhelmed and always had time to discover these people at their own pace. Lovely work. 

And yet it was the second book that really got me. It was still a soaring adventure - but it was also more personal in the way that one of the main characters was dealing with depression. 

As I said in my review: "I've been lucky in life, I've never really had to deal with depression personally, but the story spoke to me in the way it reflected what friends have gone through. It shows how characters around Alex deal with his depression - or sometimes how they don't deal with it, perhaps even not noticing it until it's pointed out by others. Sometimes I've been that person, who didn't notice or who didn't know how to react, so this story really hits home."

Dealing with such issues is not common in sci-fi and fantasy, and Ricardo adds a welcome voice to the conversation. 

And now comes book three. Out today. It's right there on my Kindle. The paperback copy will be destined for my shelf once it ships here.

Why should you read this series? Because it's fun. Because it's thoughtful. Because in a field that sometimes treads the same old ground, it strikes out along new paths. 

...and because you can pick up the first two books for a buck each as I write this. 

The new book is available on Amazon right here. 

And you can find the first two books right under it on the series button. 

And do me a favour, share this, give Ricardo a follow on Twitter or Mastodon. He's on Facebook too. Say hi. Cheer him on. Spread the word. 

He's a buddy for a good reason. He's a great and loyal friend. That's why I'd love you to share his work. 

But why you should read this work? That's different. That's because you can discover a talented writer doing his own thing, not the same thing as everyone else. Soar on skyships. See magic and science smashed together. Laugh. Cry. Love. 

My review of book three will be coming up right here on this blog in the coming days. See you then. 

COVER REVEAL: Tempest Blades - The Magick of Chaos, by Ricardo Victoria

My buddy Ricardo Victoria impresses the hell out of me. 

If you've been by this blog with any regularity, you'll have heard me talking about him before. He's part of the Inklings Press crew, and he's been writing a kick-ass series of science fantasy that you'll have heard me lavish praise on before. 

And he's got the third book of his series coming out next year!

He asked me if I would mind doing a cover reveal here on the blog and, well, his covers are just as awesome. 

That he does all of this and writes such great stories in his second language just makes it all the more darn impressive. 

So without further ado... here's the cover for Tempest Blades: The Magick of Chaos! 

So what is this third book about? Here's the blurb and... right underneath, see that? Preorder link. Preorder. Dooo it. Dooooooooo it. 

Tempest Blades: The Magick of Chaos

Action-packed adventure that blends science, fantasy, and anime-style battles into a thrilling, fast-paced story that will appeal to fans of anime, mangas, and RPG videogames.

Magick is in disarray. The Crown of the Dead has reappeared. Three gods appear, one fallen, one amnesiac, and one which corrupts. Two teams, two missions, and one world to save in a tight amount of time before everything goes to hell. While Gaby and Sam are dealing with their own inner turmoil, they must lead their respective teams onto a path that will make them both realize one important fact: You can choose who you want to be. Because in a world where magic and science intermingle, anything is possible. Including finding out if you are ready to step up. Are you? 

Preorder link for Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1951122607/
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62998106-the-magick-of-chaos

BOOK REVIEW: Tempest Blades: The Cursed Titans, by Ricardo Victoria

 

Tempest Blades: The Cursed Titans, by Ricardo Victoria

Let the tournament commence!

The Cursed Titans is the sequel to Ricardo Victoria's The Withered King. It largely stands alone - but the first book did so well at introducing its large cast of characters that it would be a shame not to start there. 

This time around, with all those introductions done, the plot can rattle away at pace - and it certainly does that. This is full-on adventure, full of zip and zest, with witty one-liners being dispensed faster than the energy arrows launched by lead character Alex. 

The plot centres around a tournament that doubles up as a way of nations resolving their differences. There is a swirl of politics around the tournament itself - and it provides the perfect opportunity for chaos itself to be unleashed.

I've said before that the Final Fantasy series is a good touchstone for Ricardo's writing, and it holds true here again. It has that anime spirit, that high sci-fi feel. There are new friends to be made, and new enemies. 

Adventure? Check. Fun? Check. Freewheeling sci-fi? Check. If you want all of that, it's all here. 

But what impressed me is that this time around there's something more. Alex is wrestling with depression, and the story explores that in some depth. I've been lucky in life, I've never really had to deal with depression personally, but the story spoke to me in the way it reflected what friends have gone through. It shows how characters around Alex deal with his depression - or sometimes how they don't deal with it, perhaps even not noticing it until it's pointed out by others. Sometimes I've been that person, who didn't notice or who didn't know how to react, so this story really hits home. 

In the end, this is as much about Alex confronting himself as the monsters unleashed in the world, and the most important alliances and friendships are the ones that help him on that personal journey. 

This kind of exploration of depression in science fiction and fantasy is not common - so Ricardo adds a welcome voice to the conversation. 

This is a good read. A fun read. But it's also perhaps an important one. 

AI Rating: 5/5

Tempest Blades: The Cursed Titans is available on Amazon and through other booksellers.

Check out my interview with Ricardo here. 

MEET THE AUTHOR: Ricardo Victoria, author of Tempest Blades: The Withered King

Ricardo Victoria is no stranger to the blog, as regular readers will know. He has a special offer at present on his novel, Tempest Blades: The Withered King, which is available for less than a dollar on ebook until October 20, and to mark the moment, he stops for a chat about the book, its recent launch, and more. 

First thing first, absolutely the very best of congratulations on the launch of your debut novel. It must be an amazing feeling. How does it feel to hold it in your hands knowing that it's a real thing now?

It’s a weird experience. A part of me is so tired due to day job duties. Another is already planning what’s next. And beneath that, there is this inner kid dancing happily for finally achieving a goal I set to myself 20 years ago. It is unbelievable to have this book in my hands, with things that populate my head in print, with a world I created to keep my mind busy and being lucky to have been receiving good reviews. I know I’m not the most technically gifted writer, but being praised for the imagination and craziness –to call it in some way- of the book really raised my spirits. So I’m exhausted, but delighted. I finally achieved the third of the three main life goals I had set for myself…

I need new goals now.

Related to that, how does it feel to know it's out in the world now, that people you've never met have it in their hands or on their tablets? 

Nerve-wracking. Exciting. Impatient. I just want people to read it, like it and review it. But I know that’s not a reasonable line of thinking, so I settle for enjoying the fact that there is people buying the book and hoping that they like it enough to recommend it to their friends and family. And maybe, just maybe, someone will be inspired by it or the book will help them to get through a rough patch, like other books helped me and inspired back in the day.

Let's talk the book itself. One of the things I really liked about the book was the way in which the characters were introduced. I was listening to a piece of music the other day (All At Once, by The Airborne Toxic Event) and it reminded me of the structure of your book, adding layer upon layer so it all builds up. The way you introduce the characters is the same, one at a time, one layer on another, so while there's a lot of characters, the reader is never overwhelmed. Did you find yourself having to be patient, knowing you had this great character coming in and wanting the reader to meet them but having to sit on your hands a bit with them? And which was your favourite character introduction? 

Well, given the weird method I have to write, no, I didn’t need to sit on my hands until I wrote the scene where each character got introduced. I just simply wrote them as inspiration struck. So when I got the introductions out of the way, I focused on having fun with the rest of the story.

Favourite one? I guess is a tie between Fionn and Alex. Fionn’s is very cinematic (and based on a dream I had years ago). Alex, because his story starts in a similar way to a couple of personal events I was going through during the first months of my Ph.D. This was before we met of course, but those events set me in the path to learn archery and play Heroclix and meet you guys! So one is for fun factor and the other for more personal one.

There's a lot of worldbuilding going on in the book – how much material have you got jotted away in notes elsewhere, because I get the sense there's a lot more still in this universe?

Let’s put it this way: if I put to writing all the material I have for world building and backstory, I could create my own equivalent to the ‘World of Ice & Fire’, with different cultures, lore and events. I’m still missing a few centuries worth history and a few regions to fill out, I just have a blank space there. But they will come in time. Writing short stories (like Asherah’s Pilgrimage or Buried Sins) have helped me to flesh out that, though.

Does that mean you've got a sequel brewing?

Make that two. Probably three. Maybe a short story anthology.

What's been your favourite moment of the novel publishing process? 

Besides writing the book? Working with Salvador on the cover illustration and getting feedback from beta readers.

And what's been your favourite feedback so far? 

As I mentioned before, the ones praising the book for its creativity and imagination, for the surprising depth in terms of emotional growth of the characters. And apparently some found my one-liners and jokes pretty funny. The basic plot might not be ground-breaking, I admit I’m a very limited writer in terms of style and skills (blame language barrier), but the fact that people are loving the story and more important, the characters in it. I have found surprising that many reviewers say that Gaby is their favourite character. Truth be told, I was nervous, since writing with justice a well-rounded female character while avoiding clichés was a major aim for me and quite a challenge.

I love the visuals of the book – there's one moment particularly with the skyship coming under fire and trying to navigate its way through a spectacular landscape (I won't say more to avoid spoiling for readers). If you had the chance for it to be turned into an animation or a movie, who would you want to make it? And if it was live action, who would you cast as the leads? 

Hell yeah!

The events from the book, in my head, look like an anime series – hence the episodic feeling of the chapters-. It was conceived in that way from the start. So yes, making an animation of it would be my dream (probably in the style of Into the Spiderverse or a more modern anime). As long as I can get the sequels of the ground before the first season/movie, to avoid issues…

Now, I envision the voices of the characters pretty similar to whom I would like them to play them either in animation or live action. If money, time and age weren’t an issue, this would be my ideal cast:

Fionn - Chris Evans

Gaby - Natalie Dormer

Harland - Peter Dinklage 

Sam: Hailee Steinfeld or Rose Leslie

Sid: Ryan Reynolds or Alan Tudyk

Alex is the only one I have problems casting for several reasons, so my wife suggested two options: Andrew Garfield (we both are fans of his Spidey) or Noah Centineo.

Netflix, call me. You know you want to.

I'm really delighted for you that this moment has come – but of course there are other moments ahead! What's next on your to-do list? 

Try to finish the draft for the book’s sequel. It already has a tentative title: “Tempest Blades: The Sequel: Electric Bogaloo 2”… nah I’m kidding. The title is “Tempest Blades: Cursed Titans”.

I’m also working on a Lovecraftian ghost story about pirates taking place in Campeche, Mexico. And maybe put together that anthology with stories about the world of the novel. Other than that, just surviving till my next holidays so I can sleep a little more.

Thanks very much for stopping by! Now go conquer the bestseller lists! 

Until October 20th, The Withered King is available for just $0.99 in ebook format from Amazon - to celebrate Ricardo's birthday! (Happy birthday, Ricardo)

You can pick it up at http://mybook.to/TempestBladesWK

BOOK REVIEW: Tempest Blades - The Withered King, by Ricardo Victoria

One of the delights of writing is the authors you work alongside - and especially seeing their work take shape over time. I've been delighted to see Ricardo Victoria make progress toward his first novel's publication - and it's coming out soon. I had the chance to read an advance review copy of the novel - and here's my review. Oh, and I should point out - I'm in the book! One of the characters is named after me. So, be advised that my character is of course brilliant...

This is not something you've read before. 

Tempest Blades - The Withered King is the first novel from Ricardo Victoria, and like just about everything he writes, this is bursting with ideas. 

To try to contain Ricardo's ideas is like trying to contain jelly with elastic bands. He's exuberant, he's bubbly - and he's bristling with imagination. 

Let me tell you what Tempest Blades is. It's a fantasy epic. No, wait, it's an anime-style adventure. Hang on, no, it's a science fiction escapade on another world. But hold up, here are roots of Ricardo's Mexican heritage. And Celtic myth. And a cartoon team-up of mighty heroes. It is a steampunk extravaganza with a soaring airship. It is science, and magic, and the science that underpins magic. It is tragic, it is witty. It is each of these things. It is all of these things. 

This is not something you've read before. 

It all begins with an ancient battle, before a flash-forward in time to a mystery of a missing professor. One by one, the team of heroes assemble as the mystery reveals a greater danger. An ancient danger. A danger that the seemingly immortal Fionn had thought long gone. 

Ricardo really handles the build-up of this team well - it reads like episodes of a series, each of which adds an extra layer to what has gone before. Before you know it, you have come to know a whole team of heroes, and care for each of them. Just in time for their world to start falling apart. 

So hop aboard. It's a science fantasy epic that bursts with originality. It is new, it is fresh, and it makes the imagination soar.

In short, this is not something you've read before. 

AI Rating: 5/5

Tempest Blades is available at various outlets - including Amazon here.

Inside the cover design - Ricardo Victoria reveals the secrets of his forthcoming novel's cover contents

I am beyond delighted to say that regular blog visitor Ricardo Victoria is edging closer to the launch of his debut novel, Tempest Blades: The Withered King. The book is out in August - but the cover has just been revealed. It's a custom piece of artwork by Salvador Velazquez and Ricardo has called by the blog to talk us through some of the elements. 

Tempest Blades is an adventure, a saga, a journey of friendship - and the characters from the book are featured prominently in action on the cover. So who are they? Ricardo introduces us...

The Greywolf

"The past is a lesson, not an anchor."

The first main character of this novel is Fionn Estel. The story is told mostly from his point of view. He is a retired war hero and legendary swordsman who is just coming back to the present time after being “indisposed” for the better part of a century. 

Fionn is still dealing with regrets and pain from an event of his past – which is related to the main crisis in the novel - and trying to restart his life. He is burdened by his past but must also train the next generation if they have any chance to defeat their foe, something he is reluctant to do. But doing one of those things could help with the other. 

He is the most famous user of the Gift that empowers his healing abilities and his Tempest Blade is Black Fang, that of the green glow.

The Inventor

“The present is a gift, not a test.”

Alex is the second main character of the novel, and the second novel will be told from his point of view, when I manage to write it. He is a genius and an inventor who, with the help of his friends, lands his crazy ideas into functional objects. He suffers from PSTD from the event that gave him the Gift a decade before the story takes place, hence his ‘peculiar’ personality. But instead of letting it brew inside his head, he took the idea of fighting back which has caused him a lot of troubles for his hot tempered personality. He takes advantage of his Gift that gives him electromagnetic abilities to create a collapsible bow that shoots electrified arrows. 

His Tempest Blade is Yaha, the first one ever made, of the golden glow.

The Dreamer

"The future is an opportunity, not something to fear."

Gaby is the third main character of the novel and the second in command of the team. The third novel will be told mostly from her POV. She has come to terms with the events of her past – including the source of her combat training – and is looking to move forward, trying to put her combat skills to good use and help others. This leads her to cross paths with Fionn. 

She is the heart of the team. However she is still wary of letting all her power out due to the fear of losing herself in it. Of the three, she is probably the most accomplished fighter, with only Fionn’s familiarity with the Gift making a difference. She dreams of things to come and can sense when an attack will come, thanks to her own Gift. 

Her twin Tempest Blades are Heartguard and Soulkeeper, which have a red and blue glow and are of unknown origin.

Tempest Blades will be released in August. It is available to pre-order at: https://mybook.to/TempestBladesWK