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Erik Martin Willen's third installment in his epic Nastragull series, Dawn Sets
in Hell, is a slightly less intense ride than the first two books in the
series—I suspect so that he can set the reader up for even more non-stop action
and shocking revelations in Book 4. But don't worry: for those addicted to his
hyper-realistic world of interstellar intrigue and devastating starship
battles, where pirates are the bloodthirsty monsters they are in the real world
instead of Jack Sparrow wannabes, there's more than enough action. This is a
calm-before-the-storm novel, where the characters—including some of the
bloodthirsty monsters mentioned above— heal, learn, and grow. We also learn
more about the universe in which the Nastasturan and Florencian federations vie
for power, using whole worlds as their game pieces, as well as its deadly
underbelly, where criminals, corrupt politicians, and hedonistic throwbacks
scrabble for whatever power they can grab.
Without providing specifics, know that Alec is rescued from his torturous hell and made whole again, via a long, painful process of regrowth and conditioning. Alexa and her cadre of Vixens, meanwhile, are scratching out a hardscrabble existence on a mining world, in virtual corporate slavery, until they're rescued by the militant Grisamm order. From there, their Grisamm mentors take them to a paradisiacal world for retraining and what amounts to reprogramming. The planet is mostly oceanic, which offers them opportunities to get into all kinds of interesting trouble. Even the Grisamm knight Bull has his hands full with the seven girls, who inadvertently become celebrities when they save beachgoers from an attack by shark-like creatures.
In the background, more trouble is brewing, as Florencia extends its borders, the militaries on both sides build their forces, and the stage is set for the next Universal War. The pirates who originally captured Alec—and from whom he fought free, liberating Alexa and the Vixens—are also girding for war, despite continuing trouble between and within the clans.
In Dawn Sets in Hell, we see different sides of many of the main characters, including the softer, more human aspects of Alec's nemesis, the pirate captain Zuzack, and Marquessa de la Hoff, the military leader of the Florencian Federation. They're still nasty bad guys, mind you, but the reader comes to understand them and what shaped them a bit better. On the other hand, we also see Alexa hit rock bottom, as well as the more brutal side of Alec's character. In the wake of his rescue and regeneration, he becomes more determined than ever not to let the universe come between him and Alexa—come what may.
To tell you too much would spoil the story, but don't worry: there's plenty of action and intrigue to keep any adventure junkie happy, while Willen takes the time to further develop his characters, showing us sides of them—positive and negative—that we haven't seen before. You'll end this book hungry for Book 4 in the series, just wait and see.
Without providing specifics, know that Alec is rescued from his torturous hell and made whole again, via a long, painful process of regrowth and conditioning. Alexa and her cadre of Vixens, meanwhile, are scratching out a hardscrabble existence on a mining world, in virtual corporate slavery, until they're rescued by the militant Grisamm order. From there, their Grisamm mentors take them to a paradisiacal world for retraining and what amounts to reprogramming. The planet is mostly oceanic, which offers them opportunities to get into all kinds of interesting trouble. Even the Grisamm knight Bull has his hands full with the seven girls, who inadvertently become celebrities when they save beachgoers from an attack by shark-like creatures.
In the background, more trouble is brewing, as Florencia extends its borders, the militaries on both sides build their forces, and the stage is set for the next Universal War. The pirates who originally captured Alec—and from whom he fought free, liberating Alexa and the Vixens—are also girding for war, despite continuing trouble between and within the clans.
In Dawn Sets in Hell, we see different sides of many of the main characters, including the softer, more human aspects of Alec's nemesis, the pirate captain Zuzack, and Marquessa de la Hoff, the military leader of the Florencian Federation. They're still nasty bad guys, mind you, but the reader comes to understand them and what shaped them a bit better. On the other hand, we also see Alexa hit rock bottom, as well as the more brutal side of Alec's character. In the wake of his rescue and regeneration, he becomes more determined than ever not to let the universe come between him and Alexa—come what may.
To tell you too much would spoil the story, but don't worry: there's plenty of action and intrigue to keep any adventure junkie happy, while Willen takes the time to further develop his characters, showing us sides of them—positive and negative—that we haven't seen before. You'll end this book hungry for Book 4 in the series, just wait and see.
By Floyd Largent on April 4, 2016
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