On the Horizon – war cry (Brian McClellan)

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

war cry (Brian McClellan)

Title: war cry

Author: Brian McClellan

Publisher: Tor.com

Publication Date: Available Now! (paperback/ebook)

ISBN: 978-1250170163

Source: NetGalley

Okay so me crew raves about this author.  I haven’t read any of his work.  So when I saw this book which “introduces a new universe, new armies, and new monsters,” I thought I would check out his writing before I made the leap into his long and established Powder Mage series.  And I loved it.

The story follows Teado who is part of a military campaign that has been going on for generations.  Each side is always claiming victory is around the corner.  But Teado isn’t buying it.  His platoon is isolated, starving, and hanging on by a thread.  So when command fails to restock provisions again, Teado’s unit takes a desperate gamble for survival.

I was completely engrossed in Teado’s struggle and watching the events unfold.  What is interesting about this war story is that it has an older feel to it.  The war machinery feels like something out of WWI.  There are prop planes and motorbikes and such.  But the addition is magic.  For example, Teado is a shape-shifter and can become a super-human fighting machine.  Others make illusions.  It be awesome.

The only problem with this is that it be a novella.  I didn’t realize that and was startled when I ran out of book.  I want more!  The story that has been set up is fascinating and I hope we get more tales set in this universe.  In the meantime, I have some Powder Mage books to catch up on!

Goodreads has this to say about the novella:

On the high plains, war is life.

Teado has been a part of the war effort for as long as he can remember. His childhood was spent in the aircraft and ammunition factories until his power manifested. Now he is on the front lines, fighting the great war as one of the monstrous shapeshifting wizards that are all but extinct after decades of battle.

Behind enemy lines, Teado’s special operations platoon plays a deadly game of cat and mouse, sabotaging and demoralizing the enemy. But food is scarce. The enemy has pushed their main forces back further and their requests for resupply have gone unanswered. They will make one last dangerous bid for survival and, maybe, change the course of the war forever.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Brian McClellan – Author

To buy the book go to:

war cry – Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

Previous Log Entries for Tor.com Novellas

• Bear, Elizabeth – stone mad – book 2 (Dry Dock – Fantasy Western)

• Brennan, Marie – cold-forged flame – book 1 (On the Horizon – Fantasy eArc)
• Brennan, Marie – lightning in the blood – book 2 (On the Horizon – Fantasy eArc)

• Clark, P. Djèlí – the black god’s drums (On the Horizon – Fantasy eArc)

• Cole, Myke – the armored saint – book 1 (Captain’s Log – Fantasy)

• Hutchinson, Dave – acadie (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)

• McGuire, Seanan – every heart a doorway – book 1 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)
• McGuire, Seanan – down among the sticks and bones – book 2 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)
• McGuire, Seanan – beneath the  sugar sky – book 3 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)

• Newman, Emma – brother’s ruin – book 1 (On the Horizon –  Fantasy Steampunk Arc)
• Newman, Emma – weaver’s lament – book 2 (On the Horizon – Fantasy Steampunk eArc)

• Okorafor, Nnedi – binti – book 1 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)
• Okorafor, Nnedi – home – book 2 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)
• Okorafor, Nnedi – the night masquerade – book 3 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)

• Thompson, Tade – the murders of molly southbourne (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)

• Wells, Martha – all systems red – book 1 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)
• Wells, Martha – artificial condition – book 2 (On the Horizon – Sci-Fi e-Arc)
• Wells, Martha – rogue protocal – book 3 (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)