D.G. Valdron

Okay, first of all who the heck is D.G. Valdron?!

About the Author
Den Valdron, is a reclusive writer, originally from New Brunswick, currently living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over the years, he has published in print and online a variety of short stories of speculative fiction, and articles on obscure pop culture topics. Like many writers, his previous occupations have included mechanic, carpenter, schoolteacher, journalist and ditch-digger. He is currently an aboriginal rights lawyer. He loves B-movies and tries to be nice to people. The Mermaid’s Tale is his first published novel.

I know we usually see the “About the Author” bit at the end of a book and/or review but I wanted to put it first in my review today. Why? Because I want to hear more from this author soon!

D.G. Valdron’s The Mermaid’s Tale feels like a new and fresh experience in the fantasy genre. It features all the species that fantasy lovers are used to and some we don’t get to see often; vampires, orcs, giants, trolls, hobgoblins, goblins, dwarves, selkies, mermaids… But these species are not cut from the same cloth we are used to and this time we are reading it from the POV of a female “arukh.” How frickin’ fantastic is that?!

What is an “arukh” you ask? Well, it’s another word for orc, defined here as a mixed breed, a cross between a vampire and a goblin, and these arukh do not have names. Arukh is what they are! The different species fall into levels in society and the arukh are at the bottom of the totem pole, known as soulless abominations. The arukh life is one of brutality, often at its own hands. They are a very violent species, full of anger and hatred at all things, which can come in very useful. The dominant species see them as tools for the dirty work. After all, they aren’t afraid of anything, they are mad, bad and dangerous to be around.

The female arukh in question has been summoned to the waterside where the mermaids reside. One of the mermaids has been butchered in a brutal fashion and this particular arukh is known for her smarts in these matters. As the arukh works to unravel this murder mystery, we follow along with her and learn more about this crazy world of hers.

Make no mistake; The Mermaid’s Tale does contain violence and graphic sexual situations. This is a dark world, one of danger on all sides, teetering on the brink of a war between the species. It’s also balanced with some hilarious banter with mermaids regarding sex and general playfulness. The arukh’s interactions are captivating and her journey of self-discovery makes this one of the best books I’ve read this year. So yes, I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author!

I want to thank the publisher (Five Rivers Publishing) for providing me with the ARC through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program for an honest review.… (altro)

This was an Early Reviewers book. I enjoyed it well enough. It's a little Dungeons and Dragon-y in some ways: the world is full of goblins, kobolds, hobgoblins, humans, vampires, and of course orcs. And that's where it gets interesting. Our protagonist is an orc female and she takes on the task of finding why a young mermaid was killed brutally, and by whom. We find her moving through a world that thinks she is an abomination, doing something that no orc should even want to do: investigating a mystery.

So it had an angle, and it held my interest. The main character is interesting and full of life. If you're into this sort of thing it's worth a read.… (altro)

This was an unexpectedly engaging and thought-provoking book. Like some of the other reviewers, I had trouble getting into it at first - the opening few scenes contain a fair amount of gore and war and fighting etc., plus the somewhat clumsy introduction of a dizzying number of different races (goblins, trolls, etc.) which at first were hard to keep track of. But as the narrative continues, it slowly begins to define these groups and shows the complicated interrelationships between them.

The protagonist, who doesn't have a name, tells us repeatedly in the early scenes that her species, the Arukh, are brutish and stupid and don't care about anything and have no morals, etc. -- yet throughout the course of the book we see otherwise. And we see her in fact slowly realizing that she has allowed other people's preconceptions of her race to color her own sense of self. I found that aspect of the story really fascinating and well-done.

The main story, of course, is of the protagonist's attempts to figure out who murdered a mermaid; and once she identifies the killer, the rest of the story is about her attempts to get justice. It's an interesting story because although the protagonist has been hired to investigate this case for money, it's clear that she also has a personal interest in it, the more so as she discovers how many other people - mostly women - have been violated and killed by the same individual.

The resolution was just a little too "pat" for my taste, but I did like that it isn't a simplistic "and then everyone was nice to each other forever" type of ending. And it certainly gave me a lot to think about.… (altro)

A great combination of fantasy and detective: An Arukh, a creature without a soul, is hired to find the person who killed a mermaid. In her search for the killer she soon finds the mermaid wasn't the only victim. She becomes more and more involved in her search, meeting various people from different races, and finding more wisdom and feeling than was thought possible for an Arukh.

I very much enjoyed the story; it is at first a bit complex with the many different races living in the fantasy world, but it also makes for a very rich and intriguing universe. The detective part of the story is a real page turner and keeps you guessing and eager to find out who the killer is. It is, however, not merely a detective story. Added to the story is a broader, political dimension of the different races that are all warring with each other and distrustful of an Arukh who is trying to find a murderer, making the case much more complicated. The Arukh has to go through a lot of trouble to talk to the right people, and to get people to listen.
Apart from that, the story has a great psychological character development: though Arukh are supposed to be soulless killers, over time the Arukh finds she really cares for the mermaid and wants justice to be done. She doesn't always comprehend her own feelings, but over the course of the novel she goes through an amazing development, making friendships and coming to understand more about emotions and connections to others.
The novel succeeds in giving you something to think about, on a more philosophical level: who do we consider to be part of 'our group' - and what does it mean to be an outcast? How can you say that it is ok to murder outside your own group, and expect never to get hurt yourself? And maybe we shouldn't let stereotypes and rumors determine our reactions to others, but take the time to get to know the 'Arukh's in our society...

A lovely read, definitely a novel I would recommend to anybody who loves fantasy, but even for none-fantasy-lovers there is plenty to like in this story.… (altro)