Fires of the Dead
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Wisp is a Pyromancer: a magician who draws energy from fires to make his own flames. He's also a criminal, one job away from retirement. With his misfit crew, Wisp ventures into a charred and barren forest to find a relic that could change the realm forever. But they aren't the only ones on the hunt and the forest isn't as barren as it seems.
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A self-published debut novella from a relatively unknown author. I was introduced to Jed Herne via some twitter competitions, and on the back of that decided to try out some of his work. This novella is held together beautifully by a clever and unique magic system. The pyromancy that that forms centerpiece of the story involves mages bonding to fires with their blood and using that to power their magic.
The characters drawn together in the story are very gritty, with a good feeling for the relationships between them. This novella definitely borrows from the grimdark subgenre with the morally grey nature of its protagonists, and with its body count. The shifting POV as the gang is whittled down over the course of the story is also a clever structure.
An impressive debut. I look forward to trying more of his works. Based on what I have read so far he deserves more recognition.
