Two disgraced brothers, a fanatical priest and an escaped slave venture into the foreboding Kalparcimex, an uncharted jungle teeming with an incredible variety of wondrous and murderous insects. When the legendary ranger Xan refuses to help the adventurers on their quest for redemption, they enter into an ill-advised pact with Ink, a cursed sorceress who stains everything she touches. Caught in the conflict between the two powerful figures, the four banished heroes must confront their darkest desires to escape the Kalparcimex!
This is the first in a series.
The book reminds me a little of the classic sci-fi pulp novels – adventurers battling against strange worlds and alien monsters! Except in this case, it’s a jungle filled with insects, monsters, treasures, temples and gods, and the adventurers include an insane priest, a knight still clinging to his ideals, a fire-mage unsure of his powers and an escaped slave with a dark past…
The beginning is slightly confusing; even after a second read I’m not sure who is rescuing who from prison, or why they leave the city that was their home. Regardless, the unlikely band of adventurers are forced onwards, and soon stumble across trouble – the jungle that covers most of the land is spreading, and now threatens their city. Trying to redeem themselves, the fugitives make an oath to stop the insects and save their city…and that leads them to Xan, a jungle ranger.
But when Xan refuses to be tempted or bribed into helping them, they turn to Ink, sorceress and shadow, amused and aloof. She agrees to help, and they head into the jungle to capture a monster to eat the insects that threaten the city. It sounds like a challenge but unfortunately, that’s just the start of their problems.
The world is excellent and unusual; the jungle contains enough annoying, lethal and strange creatures to give you chills every time you turn the page, and the amount of ways in which the adventurers are nearly killed speaks volumes about the strangeness of the world that they have stumbled into. The motivations of the characters are tense, the plot doesn’t ever go in the direction you think it will, and every character pushes and pulls against the others. We get flashes of a past history and other lands in addition to the ongoing tensions between the characters, and the accompanying additional side-notes make for an interesting world. The rivalry between Xan and Ink is excellently done; the slow revelation of Xan’s secrets and motivation adds a new dimension to the adventurer’s quest, and when other players enter the scene, the stakes are raised again.
The book ends with two new players on the scene, a new direction for the adventurers, and a new alliance – but the jungle is just starting to reveal its true power.
This would suit readers of Fantasy or Science Fiction. The book stays tense, and the plot and worldbuilding feels unique enough that it’s a good read. Be warned, there is a fair amount of violence and erotica, but it’s all in service of the plot. I’ll be interested to see what the sequel brings!
© Kate Coe, January 2017
Xan and Ink by Zak Zyz
Published October 2nd 2016
http://www.zakzyz.com/
Review copy courtesy of the publisher
274 pages
