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Book Review: From Black Fires Rise: The Vicissitudes, Book 1, by Joseph Sale

cover art for From Black Fires Rise by Joseph Sale

From Black Fires Rise: The Vicissitudes, Book 1, by Joseph Sale

Self-published, October 2026

ISBN: 9798175031677

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

If you thought author Joseph Sale was going to sit back and rest on his laurels after completing his acclaimed Carcosa series, think again. From Black Fires Rise is the start of a new fantasy series, The Vicissitudes, and it’s a real humdinger. The book has all of the excellence that marked the Carcosa books, but takes a different approach to fantasy fiction.

 

In the world of Erethia, Telos is a master thief, sentenced to the harshest prison in the land. After making his escape, (with a bit of help from the gods) he’s focused on fleeing, with the man known as the Warden in hot pursuit. A thief with questionable morals, he finds himself caught up in a larger plot involving the gods: their assistance with his escape comes at a price. The book follows the journey of Telos and the companions he meets along the way as they journey across the land, trying to evade the Warden and at the same time, figure out what exactly the gods expect of them.

 

That’s the bare bones of the story: there’s a good deal more to it, but I don’t want to give away any of the surprises. This is more of a straightforward fantasy series than Carcosa, but, as always with Joseph Sale, he’s taken the genre and created his own additions, making it a world unique to his writing. Instead of using standard races like elves and dwarves, he’s added in theronts, a unique race of human/animal crossbreeds. There is magic of a sort, but it derives from Daimonsblood, a unique fossilized fluid found in the ground. (think dinosaurs and oil, and you’ll get the idea) Sure, there are dragons, and… spaceships? Yes, you read that right, although they are called “sky-chariots” here. This is what makes the land of Erethia one of a kind, the plugging in of new ideas to a familiar genre.

 

Of course, none of that matters without excellent writing, and with this author, that’s par for the course. The book is a fast read, with the pacing being good enough to keep you up at night, just because you “gotta know what happens next”! The supporting characters are good enough to stand on their own merits. The tavern owner Ylia and her gigantic cougar-pet Urrgal are excellent, and the Warden is a fearsome antagonist who keeps the suspense level high, with his single-minded pursuit of Telos. In a way, this book is kind of a “chase” book. While Telos and Ylia are trying to figure out how they fit into things, there is always the specter of the Warden behind them, and he keeps the tension tight throughout the book. It’s worth noting that this is a fantasy book, as opposed to the dark fantasy of the Carcosa series, so this book is a bit light-hearted and has a little more bounce than that series. That shows up in the humorous moments that occasionally pop up. The scene where Ylia gets utterly bombed in a bar was hilarious, and Telos just has a funny way of rubbing the Warden’s face in it whenever he can. Most prisoners would be happy to just escape, but Telos can’t do it without provoking the Warden, and further enraging him. There are even a few scenes that startled me enough to make me jump in my seat a bit (one involving a giant spider), and that is NOT an easy thing for a book to do.

 

Bottom line is, this book is a surefire winner. Fantasy fans, you do not want to miss this one: there isn’t a chance of disappointment. Highly recommended!

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Posted on October 6, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: The Court of Pe’kar (Lost Carcosa #4) by Joseph Sale

Cover art for The Court of Pe'Kar by Joseph Sale

The Court of Pe’kar, by Joseph Sale

Blood Bound Books, 2024

ISBN: 9781940250687

Available: Paperback, ebook edition

 

 

The Court of Pe’kar is the penultimate story in Joseph Sale’s riveting Carcosa series, and it does an outstanding job setting the stage for the final volume, while being an excellent addition to the series based on its own merits.  

 

This fourth volume has more of the feel of the first two in the series: quick pacing, tangible enemies, and good head-crushing, stomach-tearing battles.  The third volume, while good, took the series in a more cerebral, introspective direction, where the adversaries were contained within the characters themselves.  With The Court Of Pe’kar, it’s back to the prior approach, as Alan Chambers, Queen Cassilda, and their companions, complete the journey to the City of Demons to face off with Pe’kar the Demon King, and Cassilda’s traitorous sister Cali. 

 

While most of the chapters focus on the protagonists, some of the earlier chapters feature Cali.  The author makes the most out of these chapters, using them to sow doubt about Cali’s final intentions toward Pe’kar, when it appeared that she was previously in league with him.  The story takes a somewhat similar turn with Pe’kar, as his intentions towards Alan and his party, as conveyed by his minions, are not at all what the group expects.  That’s what the narrative does best in this volume.  The actions of some of the characters cause some of the others to view their own intentions with a level of dubiousness, making for an exciting, yet unpredictable story.  It’s best exemplified by a meeting between Cassilda and Cali towards the end, which may be the best part of the book.  Alan’s group may have been united in their quest to eliminate Cali, but as she and others become unpredictable and show other facets of themselves previously hidden, the heroes have to question if the desired result would benefit the land of Carcosa, or themselves.  In all fairness, although Alan Chambers was the driving force behind the series in the beginning, it’s a bit more about Cassilda and Cali, and their relationship as sisters and mortal enemies, which is now the focus.  Of course, that may very well change in the final volume, as the author has proven adept at surprising readers.  

 

Worth noting also, the final battle in this book is a thrilling collage of bloodshed: it’s almost as good as the epic battle that closed out volume two.  

 

While it’s kind of sad when you can see the journey start to end as the series nears its conclusion, it’s been a hell of a ride getting there, and still is.  We probably won’t see another fantasy series this good anytime soon. Most definitely recommended!

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

 

Posted on April 21, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: The Dreams of Demhe (Lost Carcosa #3) by Joseph Sale

The Dreams of Demhe (Lost Carcosa #3) by Joseph Sale

Blood Bound Books, 2024

ISBN: 2370015765491

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Amazon.com

 

This is the third book in the Lost Carcosa series.  Reviews for the prior two books, The Claw of Craving and The City of Corpses can be found on this site.

 

When we last left off, protagonist Alan Chambers and his companions had won a great victory over the forces of darkness, but the evil Princess Cali had escaped after killing her father.  The Dreams of Demhe covers their pursuit of Cali through the fabled Desert of Demhe, to stop her before she can join forces with the Demon King.

 

Not surprisingly, the book stacks up well against the previous two installments.  No doubt, Joseph Sale is a superbly gifted writer, and his prose is strong, as always.  The story does have a somewhat different feel from the prior two.  It’s more introspective, and focuses more on the inner strengths and weaknesses of the characters, as opposed to having them surmount various obstacles in the Carcosa world.  This is facilitated in the story by the Desert of Demhe, where most of the book takes place.  It’s a place of visions, where the apparitions seen are tailored to each character, and prey upon their deepest fears.

 

The setting is what gives the book its unique flavor, and is also likely to divide readers of the series.  Those that prefer stories that focus on what makes the main characters tick will likely have this ranked as the best in the series, while readers that prefer more action-oriented stories will probably prefer the previous volumes.  It’s a very good read, but an altered direction for the series.  There’s plenty of internal conflict built into the story, especially in Alan’s case.  He has to contend with the Claw he bears on his arm, which has an intelligence of its own, and is often in opposition to what Alan’s heart tells him.  Also, the visions of the Desert cause Alan to learn some things about his companions that would have been better left hidden, in the interest of keeping the companions unified in their purpose of stopping Cali.

 

The viewpoints of the other characters also factor in: can they keep supporting Alan, even though he knows their worst fears and failings?  People in the book (and in real life) keep secrets for a reason. When the veil of secrecy is lifted, it has the potential to tear the group apart, and the cracks start to show by the end of the story.  There are also two notable twists to the narrative that are likely to become pivotal in the series. One concerns Alan, the other concerns LeBarron, the actor in the group.  It’s an inward-looking book, and an entertaining one.

 

The bottom line here is, it’s another good entry in one of the best series to come out in a long time, in the dark fantasy genre.  Now, when do we get the next one?  Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

 

Posted on August 29, 2024 by , Reply
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