C.M. Caplan

I am one of the judges of team Space Girls for the SPSFC3 contest. This review is my personal opinion. Officially, it is still in the running for the contest, pending any official team announcements.

Status: Semifinalist
Read: 100%

This review has a few spoilers! I tried to hide the worst spoilers with tags, but perhaps other less spoilery ones will pop up here & there.

I really struggled with this book. To be honest, if it hadn't been for the fact I read it as a judge, I would have ended up dnfing it. And no, I believe the book is well written with plenty of great merits. Especially around the weird Post-Apocalyptic worldbuilding with Steampunk technology and realistic autism representation. So, in those regards, the book delivers very well. While I don't quite know where the fantasy elements are in this book (the book is far more Sci-Fi), I can see why so many people like it. And I know, the fantasy is explained that before the latest cataclysm, the world got weirded out by magic, but it is barely a passing thought in the current story. The way things changed in the book could have been explained by a radioactive meteorite with a ghost making virus that only affects humans and the present day story would not have been affected at all.

My problem is that I have a keen obsession with finding plot holes in books. They drive me nuts. While I tend to always be more generous towards indie books for these and spelling bloopers, I do feel a book that is a finalist in not one, but two insanely competitive book competitions and a worthy semifinalist in yet another competition shouldn't have... so many plot holes.

Since the book focuses solely on Petre's POV, we cannot discern if a lot of his actions are due to his autism or heightened from the aid of the stimulant injections. He is under the effects of the stimulants the entire book which turn him into an insanely competent combatant and reader of the telltale signs of people infected by ghosts, known as Gaunts.

Why are the souls of the deceased forced to wander around the world? Why isn't there a Ghostbusters tech to at least lock up the ghosts in a basement? What will happen when the last remaining humans all turn Gaunt? Why doesn't this happen to animals? How come a Gaunt can only be infected by 1 ghost and not 2? Sadly, the book never explores these things, much to my dismay.

I won't delve much into the book's plot, I'll let the reader discover them. A huge chunk of the reason why I didn't dnf it early on was because I wanted to know if Änoise is still alive. And yes, the reader will find out. The rest of the book centers around Petre being paranoid about what everyone thinks about him, and hating being dumped with the constraints of reading people's true intentions. Again, since we never see Petre without the stimulants, we don't know if he can do this all the time. Only that he is insanely adept at using his gut instincts and devising which person is loyal and which is a traitor in disguise. Both he and his family think he is too incapable, when the reader notices during the entire book Petre would actually become a pretty damn good king. In my opinion, he is the most qualified of the 4 siblings.

Out of the siblings, I quite liked Änoise. She's actually quite likeable even though she doesn't appear for long. Desmon's personality didn't make much sense (although his explanation about why he was the worst swordsman ever helped make me forgive him a bit). And as for Edgar, oh gosh, he is the WORST. Whether the author purposely wanted him to become the most gratingly obnoxious twat ever, I wanted to punch him the entire book. Now, pretty much every character infantilizes Petre during the book. Which drove me nuts to no end (mostly because he proves constantly he's very capable even though he doesn't realize it). The book hints this is because everyone in the court remembers him before the ran away from home as someone difficult, unmalleable and with frequent violent outbursts. His stimulant injections were still experimental, and it seems like they were perfected over time during his self-exile in the Blackhouse noble family estate.

So, while everyone's condescending behavior towards Petre makes perfect sense, it was still very grating to read. I had a similar experience reading the book Sky on Fire by Jesse Greyson. That book similarly takes place in a Post-Apocalyptic world where it is quite dangerous to go outside. In that book, the protagonist is also a very capable man who doesn't believe in himself. The main difference is his self-doubt is fueled by his insanely toxic mother who has poorly controlled diabetes (in a world where getting life-saving meds is very difficult & expensive). The villainess emotionally abuses the poor protagonist every step of the way. I dare say the writing in that book is insanely well-done. But man, it was painful to read because you just felt the story screeched to a startling halt for 2/3 of the book. This book gave me a similar experience. Petre's siblings treat him in such a horrible way fueled by their memories of him before he got his injections.

The worst is that a good chunk of the behavior didn't make much sense. Änoise really wants to talk to Petre, but then tells her secretary to lie to him she isn't available? Huh? I would have forgiven the book if it had been the treacherous Havilan Reacher who abused his authority to ensure Petre didn't talk to her because he's the bad guy and we can't have the prince with fabulous combat skills and good intel about what is really happening elsewhere to ahem, relay what he knows. But nope, the book offers a plot hole stating she didn't know why she didn't want to talk to him.

Huh?

That part of the book really got on my nerves. I was wanting to pull my hair! And when did Änoise get married anyways? 19? The book specifies she got engaged at age 14. How come Petre didn't recognize Fabrian? He would have inevitably been forced to greet that guy in a dinner party by his abusive father and still remember his face.

I felt the train ride was a deux ex-machina. A lot of the problems of the book in the second half could have been avoided if Petre traveled by train in disguise. There are even cars in this world. Yet everyone rides (really awesome) cyborg horses (which are literal death traps with a critical manufacturing defect). I still think the cyborg horses are really cool.

Also, why is Petre's mom still locked up in the family estate basement? Änoise has zero reason for this. Her punishment was her father's doing, yet she does nothing after her coronation. Even though I liked her as a person, she really isn't very good at her job. Lets everyone stomp on her. This made even less sense because she was supposed to be trained to become the ruler from the instant she was born.

So now, I am in a conundrum. This book has a lot of great things, and the last 20% of the book is the best part of the novel. In fact, if a reader is tempted to dnf the book halfway like I almost did, I suggest to just skip to the last 20%. Most of the middle is endless bickering anyways, so skipping to the end won't be too confusing.

While prose wise this was the better semifinalist of the competition group I was tasked to read, overall, I enjoyed Wistful Ascending in a whole a lot more out of the 2 books. However, I hope most readers don't feel let down by my more critical review. I think the book has plenty of merits even though it didn't quite work with me.… (altro)

This is C.M. Caplan’s second book, and it’s the second of his books that I’ve read and reviewed. (See my review of The Sword In The Street here).

Caplan has a gift for creating and portraying characters with realistic traits and flaws that, at least to this reader, are instantly relatable and pull you into the story. And this story was a lot of fun to read.

Here in The Fall Is All There Is we meet Petre Mercy, one of a set of quadruplets born into the royal household of a post apocalyptic world. Five years ago he separated himself from the intense politics and toxic relationships of Mercy House and ran off to find a life of his own. Now his father, the king, has died and he is suddenly being called back home by his siblings, a journey he is reluctant to take. As events unfold he finds himself once again swept up into royal affairs and must take sides in what promises to be an all out civil war.

Petre is a manic ball of energy and full of humor. The book deals in a lot of what could be considered serious topics, including graphic violence, drug use, bisexuality (with a briefly explicit scene midway through the book), and discussion of masochistic kink. But it never takes itself too seriously, with Petre’s humor brightening even the darkest parts of the book. Caplan also has a lot of fun with the family dynamics among the four siblings.

The world where all the action takes place is full of old, half understood technology from multiple iterations of civilizations that have advanced and then fallen in on themselves. Caplan refers to two “annihilations” that have happened in the past, where technology altered the world tragically and fundamentally. So it’s a crazy mix of “modern” conveniences, steampunk style cyborg horses, battery powered vibrating swords and rotating knives, ghostfogs and forests filled with trees of granite and concrete. Not to mention mastodon bone houses and [SPOILER] helmets that allow the wearer to control the possessed humans called Gaunts.

Just like his previous book, I liked this one a lot, and the realistic characters and character dynamics are a big reason why. I faulted Caplan’s previous book on its world building, saying that it was a world only partly revealed and just sufficient to carry the story. That is certainly not the case here, as this book is filled with intriguing technologies and ideas. As this is the first of a series of books I look forward to seeing how the various pieces of half understood ancient tech being studied by the “labcoats” play into future stories.

RATING: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

NOTE: It’s been several months since I last participated in a book tour, but I was very happy to be invited by Escapist Tours to participate in this one. And I’d also like to thank the author for reaching out to me and providing an ARC of this book even before that.

For more on the book tour, visit the Escapist Tours official tour page.… (altro)

This book is an unusual mixture of the quick-moving, high tension, action of sword fights with complex social and relationship issues that might seem more at home in literary fiction.
Our two protagonists are John, a swordsman who fights to settle the petty squabbles of the nobility, and Edwin, a neurodivergent student, who relies on a drug known as ‘Ash’ to calm his severe anxiety.
This is a second world fantasy, but with only a sprinkling of magic. The swordplay and system of Lords and Lordesses with names like Proud and Triumph feels medieval, but other aspects had more of a 17th or 18th century vibe for me: the monarchy have been overthrown, belief in magic has withered, and while belief in the ‘nailed god’ techically drives all legal decisions, it feels more like resignation than true faith. The world is also queer normative - the only thing people seem to find odd about John and Edwin’s relationship is their differing social status.
John and Edwin live completely separate lives during the day and come together at night, but not for scenes of smouldering passion for the most part - John is too tired (relatable). The relationship is sometimes loving, sometimes toxic. There were times when I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to root for them to be together or not. They just don’t talk, and when their plot lines do converge the reader can spot it way before they do.
Ultimately, the book was an interesting journey with both characters, but I found John’s storyline had more pace and direction than Edwin’s. The social change Edwin and his friend Audrey manage to enact seems to fade into the background of John’s struggles and I would have enjoyed seeing that foregrounded more in Edwin’s sections, creating more forward motion alongside the introspection. Still, it was an enjoyable rude and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for fantasy that’s a little different from the norm.… (altro)

So what would you expect a book called The Sword In The Street to be about? Well, C.M. Caplan has written a book that is much more than that.

Rather than the dark heroic tale of the fierce knight battling the forces of evil to save the kingdom, what his book provides is a character driven queer fantasy story with a medieval setting. Caplan uses the story to delve into real topics and issues in a way you may not expect from a fantasy tale. Yes of course there is swordplay, and even some blood, but there is much more than that.

Sword, at its heart, is a story about a relationship tested by adversities.

John is a hired swordsman serving at the pleasure of his patron Lordess Triumph. He comes from an impoverished family, orphaned as a boy and raised in a house of ill repute. Though John has trained for years and fights and wins repeatedly for his patron, her miserly pay has left him trapped in poverty.

His boyfriend Edwin comes from a well to do family of the merchant class. Edwin is autistic and without the use of the Ash (a smoked drug) he suffers severe anxiety and irrational fear. His family doesn’t really know what to do with Edwin, and they and Edwin don’t get along. So, they’ve packed him off to university and provide him only a modest allowance.

Though John and Edwin have been together for a couple of years, they don’t always see eye to eye. John loves being a swordsman but Edwin fears for his safety each time he duels. Money is a constant issue. Edwin has the single minded desires of a young man and looks to John to fulfill his needs. John leaves work tired each day and is less interested in sex than Edwin. See what I mean about real topics and issues?

Beyond John and Edwin there is Aubrey, Edwin’s college friend. Aubrey suffers with her own issues, having been raped at the hands of one of the Lords and coping, in part, through self-harm.

One day during his college studies Edwin comes across a forgotten law. Aubrey helps Edwin put his discovery before the Wise Masters of the university. They believe it should still be enforced, and press their case with the Council. This change threatens to upend society and endanger John’s livelihood. Suddenly John, Edwin and their friends are all thrown into a growing cycle of deceit and intrigue - a cycle that tests John and Edwin’s relationship.

While the characters and their interactions are sympathetic and well developed, they inhabit a world that is only partly revealed. We get just enough of their medieval-style city to suffice for the story. But there is enough there to have piqued my curiosity, making me want to learn more. I do know that Caplan has plans for further books set in this world, and I am looking forward to reading them.

I really enjoyed this book. John and Edwin, though they have their own unique problems, typify the trials and dynamics of a long-term relationship in realistic terms. They and Aubrey are so well written that you easily get drawn into their struggles and are rooting for them to succeed. I give The Sword In The Street Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

NOTE: I received a review copy from the author and Escapist Tours in exchange for participating in the tour and providing a fair and unbiased review.… (altro)