The Rogue Retrieval is Dan Koboldt’s debut novel, a combination sci-fi/fantasy adventure set in a world connected to ours via a portal. Billed as a book that will appeal to fans of Pratchett and Brooks is an apt analogy, though as a reader that isn’t overly familiar with the aforementioned authors I’d make comparisons to Stover’s Acts of Caine series (though much lighter in tone), and even the Stargate TV franchise. It’s a novel that surprised me when I cracked open the digital pages, and one that kept me coming back in ever more frequent visits until the journey was over. Why, exactly, would that be? Read on…
From the publisher:
Sleight of hand…in another land
Stage magician Quinn Bradley has one dream: to headline his own show on the Vegas Strip. And with talent scouts in the audience wowed by his latest performance, he knows he’s about to make the big-time.
What he doesn’t expect is an offer to go on a quest to a place where magic is all too real.
That’s how he finds himself in Alissia, a world connected to ours by a secret portal owned by a powerful corporation. He’s after an employee who has gone rogue, and that’s the least of his problems. Alissia has true magicians…and the penalty for impersonating one is death. In a world where even a twelve-year-old could beat Quinn in a swordfight, it’s only a matter of time until the tricks up his sleeves run out.
With his dreams of hitting the Vegas Strip as a headlining magician looking like they’re coming to fruition, Quinn Bradley is about to realise his life’s work. However, CASE Global, a powerful corporation that has a world-changing secret, isn’t quite prepared to let Quinn’s dreams come true quite yet. Instead they make him an offer he would be silly to refuse: a fixed length contract under a non-disclosure agreement for a lot of money. Despite a veiled warning by a stranger to the contrary, Quinn takes the job and finds himself going somewhere not of this world: Alissia.
Alissia is a world accessible from ours via a portal on an island in the Pacific, an island wholly owned by CASE Global. Discovered fifteen years ago, the corporation has been sending teams of scholars and agents through to learn about the city-states and their citizens in an effort to discover ever more about this world. Alissia also has a very special trait: magic is present. Not only that, but CASE Global doesn’t know as much about its workings and the Alissian magicians as it thinks. Now, following the disappearance of their leading researcher, Richard Holt, CASE Global have put a team together to go to Alissia and retrieve him at any cost. This team consists of its two ex-military members, leader Kiara and muscle Logan, the cultural expert who worked for years under Holt, Chaudri, and stage magician Quinn Bradley, fresh from Vegas and starting to regret what he’s got himself in to.
The Rogue Retrieval begins in Vegas, introducing us to Quinn, his stage act, and his dreams of making it big. After receiving a warning from a mysterious stranger not to accept the job he’ll be offered after his big show, we’re completely not surprised to see him accept said job. From there we jump straight into the action. From his briefing on Richard Holt and Alissia – often quite light on detail – through to the group’s first steps through the portal, we see much of the narrative from Quinn’s perspective. While not surprising to see him stifle at military protocols, he’s an instantly likeable character who often steps beyond his boundaries when the situation calls for it. His interactions with the group, particularly Logan, are enjoyable and build a camaraderie as the story progresses. In fact, the entire cast each have their strengths and weaknesses, each touched on briefly, but by no means ignored – Koboldt builds believable, realistic characters with depth, and following them is never a chore.
The story itself is a rather straightforward affair – go to Alissia, track down Richard Holt, and bring him back. However, nothing is a simple as it seems and our group run into trouble from early on, encountering traps laid by Holt in order to slow their progress and aid in his efforts. It’s all done well, and the sense of danger is present even though we know things should work out for the best in the short term. While the first half of the novel continues the quest part without much deviation, it’s around the halfway point that The Rogue Retrieval really ups the ante when Quinn meets one of Alissia’s magicians. From there we discover much more about the magic of the world, how little CASE Global really knows about it, and the influence the magicians have throughout Alissia. There are little hints dropped here and there about what is likely to come to pass, but I won’t spoil anything – the fun I had reading and finding out for myself is worth your time.
The characters, pacing, and action really work well, and Koboldt has delivered a thrilling novel that has that all too important factor: it’s a page-turner. However, despite how much I enjoyed The Rogue Retrieval, it isn’t without its issues. The world-building for Alissia is far too vague for the most part, and details on the portal are practically non-existent. I would have loved to see more of the history of this place, and while we do learn quite a bit through various discussions, it’s not enough to fully flesh out the setting. With another two books on the way over the next two years (The Island Deception and The World Awakening) I sincerely hope that this aspect is addressed and expanded – the potential is staggering.
So, after turning the last electronic page I was left satisfied, entertained, and eager for more – much like I imagine I’d be if I’d seen one of Quinn’s Vegas shows. With a world that can offer both sci-fi and fantasy storytelling, Koboldt has a very large canvas to work with, and The Rogue Retrieval is an excellent first stroke. Recommended.
Publisher: http://www.harpervoyagerbooks.com
Author: http://dankoboldt.com
January 2016, 416 Pages
Ebook, ISBN: 9780062451903
Review from purchased copy
© 2016 Mark Chitty | @chitman13
