Hello writing and reading communities! It’s time for the next installment of Indie Recommends Indie and today I have author Jeramy Goble. I am really excited to mix this feature with the Eulogy for the Dawn Book Blitz hosted by Storytellers on Tour.
Jeramy, thank you for joining me for this series! Before we get started and since this is your first time on Armed with A Book, tell me and my readers a bit about yourself. 🙂
Hello, there, Kriti! Thank you so much for letting me hang out with you and your readers! It is always a good day when you get to chat with folks who love digging into a good book!
Let’s see. I’m originally from North Carolina in the US but grew up in countless states, as well as Europe, due to my dad being in the Navy. I’m super thankful for that experience for a few reasons.
1) I was able to develop a close relationship with my immediate family since we were each other’s only constant as we moved around, and,
2) I got to immerse myself frequently in different cultures, languages, beliefs, ideologies… You name it. I grew up being enriched by those differences. Inspired. It was and is so exciting!
After graduating college in 2004, I then married one of my closest college friends, Julia, in 2010. She’s my everything!
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
Ah, that’s an interesting question! If I had to split it into percentages, I’d say maybe 60% indie, 40% traditional? Maybe even a pinch higher for indie. I’d say the reason is, 1) I’m more actively involved in the indie community (I’m not chatting often with George R.R. Martin or Stephen King, ha!), and 2) It seems the selection of high-quality indie books is growing more and more bountiful by the day.
Jeramy’s Indie Recommendations
Queens of the Wyrd by Timandra Whitecastle
Norse-inspired fantasy
Published 2021
Series: The Trail Marker Series
Book Number: 1
Raise your shield. Defend your sisters. Prepare for battle.
Half-giant Lovis and her Shieldmaiden warband were once among the fiercest warriors in Midgard. But those days are long past and now Lovis just wants to provide a safe home for herself and her daughter – that is, until her former shield-sister Solveig shows up on her doorstep with shattering news.
Solveig’s warrior daughter is trapped on the Plains of Vigrid in a siege gone ugly. Desperate to rescue her, Sol is trying to get the old warband back together again. But their glory days are a distant memory. The Shieldmaidens are Shieldmothers now, entangled in domestic obligations and ancient rivalries.
But family is everything, and Lovis was never more at home than at her shield-sisters’ side. Their road won’t be easy: old debts must be paid, wrongs must be righted, and the Nornir are always pulling on loose threads, leaving the Shieldmaidens facing the end of all Nine Realms. Ragnarok is coming, and if the Shieldmaidens can’t stop it, Lovis will lose everyone she loves…
Fate is inexorable. Wyrd bith ful araed.
Why Jeramy recommends this book:
Two of my favorite things in fantasy are 1) Familiar tropes done well, and/or 2) Fresh perspectives & POVs. This book has both! Tim weaved a great tale of badass women taking care of business. I really enjoyed the perspective and context of not just powerful women, but mothers!
In a genre traditionally saturated by tales of heroic men and adventuring male warriors, with their wives and babes waving them off into the sunset with helpless tears, this was a refreshing departure. I really enjoyed seeing women featured and not just characters in the periphery. And it wasn’t an arbitrary departure. It absolutely makes sense to me that women, who bring life into being, and who often see to the welfare of their homes, (especially in traditional fantasy), it only makes sense that they can, should, and do take up arms in the name of heroic adventure.
Recommended for: fans of quests, journeys, strong female characters, Norse themes.
Where Loyalties Lie by Rob J. Hayes
Pirates/Grimdark
Published 2017
Series: Best Laid Plans
Everybody knows Captain Drake Morass is only out for himself.
As the fires of a dying city burn on a distant shore, Drake sees an opportunity to unite the other pirate Captains under his flag and claim a crown for himself. If he is to succeed, he will need allies and the Oracle named Keelin Stillwater, the best swordsman in the isles, as his right hand.
With enemy ships sailing his waters and setting fire to his cities, and the sinister Tanner Black threatening to steal the throne before Drake even has a chance to sit upon it, Drake Morass must somehow convince the other Captains that his best interests are also theirs.
Where Loyalties Lie is the first book in the Best Laid Plans duology and is set in the same world as The Ties That Bind trilogy, continuing Captain Drake Morass’ story where the trilogy left off.
Why Jeramy recommends this book:
I’m very picky about the grimdark I read because I think some writers go straight for shock value just for the sake of shock value–Rob doesn’t. I find that the best grimdark books are those that depict the reality of human potential on either end of the spectrum and everything in-between. In my opinion, Rob’s book does just that. In addition, I’m a glutton for pirates and piracy!
One of the things this book does so well, (that I eat right up), is drag you kicking and screaming away from our modern, real lives, into the dark, and seedy underworld of a fictional world. In Where Loyalties Lie, you can smell the rum on the breath of the prostitutes and see the bloodstains on the pirates’ clothes. You’re no longer safe and comfortable. Instead, every bite of food, every coin, and sometimes every breath, is a struggle.
Recommended for: fans of grimdark, piracy, and fans of authors like Mark Lawrence & Michael Fletcher.
Bloodrush by Ben Galley
Weird western fantasy
Published 2014
Series: The Scarlet Star Trilogy
When Prime Lord Hark is found in a pool of his own blood, his only son Merion Hark finds his world turned upside down and inside out. The Prime Lord’s last will and testament forces Merion west across the Iron Ocean, to the very brink of the Endless Land and all civilisation. To a place they call Wyoming.
In the dusty frontier town of Fell Falls, there is no silverware, no servants, no plush velvet nor towering spires. Only dust, danger and the railway. Merion has only one ally to help him escape the torturous heat and unravel the mystery of his father’s murder: a faerie warrior named Rhin, and a twelve inch-tall outcast of the fae realm.
Revenge and redemption are never easy. There are dark forces at work in Fell Falls, and not just the railwraiths, brigands or the savages. Secrets lurk in Merion’s bloodline. Secrets that will redefine the young Hark, and open up a whole world of magic buried by empire and industry.
Why Jeramy recommends this book:
I love books that feature real world locations in alternate/secondary fantasy settings, and Ben Galley’s Bloodrush nails it with a fantasy setting that features the American wild west in the 1800s. Mix that up with a healthy dose of magic and influence from England and you’ve got an exciting and unique adventure.
Again, one of the things that appeals to me so much about Bloodrush, is the rough and rugged hand dealt to so many people across numerous societies. If there is any affluence to be gained in the world, the people in the book are mostly unaware of it. As readers, we get to sit back and enjoy seeing how various characters cope with their less-than-desirable means, and watch how they share the world with others. This dynamic goes a long way towards creating a sense of immersion.
I’d think this would/should please folks from a fairly wide breadth of tastes.
Recommended for: fans of Westerns to classical fantasy, to action/adventure.
Aching God by Mike Shel
Fantasy
Published 2018
Series: Iconoclasts
“Closer, mortal. You are here, finally, to feed the Aching God…”
The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside and isolated with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. But just as old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, he receives an urgent summons back to that old life.
To save his only daughter, he must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. Along with a group of inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. He has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But how can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god?
First volume in the planned epic fantasy trilogy Iconoclasts , Aching God is the debut novel by RPG adventure designer Mike Shel.
Why Jeramy recommends this book:
One of the features of a book that will grab me the fastest is a book that *really* delves into the mind of its character. Be it machinations, or fears, worries, and obsessions, the main character in this book really invites you into his mind. Combined with a deep and treacherous world, and an older main character, there’s enough classic fantasy and fresh takes on things to keep anyone interested.
And while the book itself is a wonderfully crafted work of fantasy, the deep dive into elements of psychological challenges, paranoia, worry, fear, bring a much-needed dynamic to fantasy. Traditionally, epic fantasy maintains that wall of safety—a barrier between real life that helps distance you from any emotional or mental harm. But, Aching God brings those aspects together with traditional fantasy dangers for an all encompassing treat.
Recommended for: fans of classic fantasy who enjoy fresh takes on main characters.
The Path of Flames by Phil Tucker
Epic Fantasy
Published 2018
Series: The Chronicles of the Black Gate
A war fueled by the dark powers of forbidden sorcery is about to engulf the Ascendant Empire. Agerastian heretics, armed with black fire and fueled by bitter hatred, seek to sever the ancient portals that unite the empire – and in so doing destroy it.
Asho–a squire with a reviled past–sees his liege, the Lady Kyferin, and her meager forces banished to an infamous ruin. Beset by tragedy and betrayal, demons and an approaching army, the fate of the Kyferins hangs by the slenderest of threads. Asho realizes that their sole hope of survival may lie hidden within the depths of his scarred soul–a secret that could reverse their fortunes and reveal the truth behind the war that wracks their empire.
Unpredictable, fast paced, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Path of Flames is the first installment in a gripping new epic fantasy series.
Why Jeramy recommends this book:
One of my favorite epic fantasy series by far. The plot and worldbuilding are top notch with immersive and fun minutiae that isn’t arbitrary like so many other beefy fantasy books. And the characters have a rich complexity with each standing out as individuals with their own voice.
When it comes to epic fantasy, the worldbuilding has to be comprehensive, fun, and relevant, without being a series of info dumps. Tucker handles worldbuilding with ease, with great elements such as the magic system, (sincasting), and elements of society such as the Ascendancy.
There are about half a dozen POVs in the book, but between the nicely executed technique with the writing, and the characters having individual voices with their own idiosyncrasies, the reader can move between POVs easily.
Recommended for: fans of sweeping epic fantasy and authors like Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
After all these fabulous recommendations, here is one of Jeramy Goble’s books that he wanted to highlight. I am looking forward to reading this one!
Jeramy Goble’s Book Spotlight
Eulogy for the Dawn by Jeramy Goble
Fantasy
Published in 2021
Book 1 of Wrathlore Series
Domaren constructs peace using his tools of war. He is a silencer of rebellions and a butcher of tyrants. To some, he is a champion defender. To others, he is a merciless eradicator. Together with his fellow Godknights, Domaren wields might and magic to carry out the will of the creators.
But the creators have suddenly gone silent.
As the last living Godknight present during the ancient rebellion known as Wrathlore, Domaren must rise above suspicions of deceit, faltering powers, and a world erupting in chaos if he hopes to learn the fate of the missing creators.
Readers who enjoyed books by Michael Sullivan, Ursula Le Guin, and Robert Jordan, would like this book.
Jeramy would really love to have additional beta reader & early reviewer friends! Please feel free to reach out to him at JeramyGoble@gmail.com, or visit his website, or find him on Twitter.
Alter: Eulogy of the Dawn will be $.99 or £.99 from September 1st to September 8th! Use the universal Amazon link to get it!
Thank you so much for hanging out with Jeramy Goble and me today as part of the sixth Indie Recommends Indie Series. I hope you are enjoying the series so far and are looking forward to future posts. I have gathered so many amazing indie recommendations from the series so far that I am seriously rethinking what reading will look like for me next year.
If you are an indie or small press author who is an avid reader and wants to be featured, sign up using the form on the Indie Recommends Indie home page. Looking forward to connecting with you.
Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
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