The Brand

I really liked this book.

It is a mix of fantasy and steampunk, maybe with a dash of science fiction, in a way that may sound a bit weird but actually works. The only things that was a bit jarring at times were a few glaring typos and the fact that the author used the word drug instead of dragged which through me out of the story a few times.

The story:
It's set in a world with at lest three sentient species: Humans, Norians and Daeryc, where the Daeryc are monster- or demon-like. They have a war going with the Erians (a human kingdom where most of the norians seem to live) but are also fighting the humans in the Order of Luminan, although on a smaller scale. Mostly one-on-one.
There is magic of sorts in this world. Some humans, called Exorcists, part of the Order of Luminan, can channel energy from the Creator which they use to fight the daeryc. And some of the norians are Spirit Speakers who can manipulate the spirits in rocks, earth, wood, water etc which they mainly (these days) use in the fight against the daeryc.

We follow Ciel, an Exorcist with a prosthetic arm which she can load with divine energy and use as a weapon against the lone daeryc she faces/seeks out in her work for the Order. As the book progresses it becomes clear to us, and Ciel, that everything is not right in the Orders upper hierarchy. More and more Exorcists are killed on mission while it has been years since they last found a human that would be able to channel the Divine Energy. The Exorcists, humanity's weapon against the dearyc, are dying out.

This is the first in a series and it does end without resolving much, but I definitely think it's worth the read and I personally look forward to when the author has time to write the next book.

Oh, and the short story about Grendel the Goblin, at the end of the book, is really worth your time as well!