“Kade Blackcap was once a famous detective. Overburdened with guilt at sending a man to the noose, he finds himself unable to take a case for fear of the consequences. But with the taxman breathing down his neck, he has to find work soon, or he’ll lose the house his father left him.
He has one hope left.
Long has he suspected the myths of old were creeping back into the world, and with his detective background he has all the skills to hunt them. But once he finds himself on the trail of a monster, he realizes how out of his depth he is.
He might have the skills to track such a creature, but what will he do when he catches up with it?”
Title: Tales From Across the Domains
Series: Rainfallen #0.5
Author: Benjamin Aeveryn
Page Count: 106
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Date Read: December 31st, 2023
| The second novella chosen to finish out 2023 was Blackcap by Benjamin Aeveryn. I read book one Salt in the Wound back in June of 2023 and really enjoyed it. I figured this would be another nice easy way to slide into the end of the year. This was a solid reminder of how interesting the Rainfallen world is. The constant fear of it’s citizens to be caught out in the open during rain is in the forefront. However, this world also includes many other dangers. The pacing was solid. This was just a nice smooth shorter read. This was a page turner nestled into a novella package. We have a heaping spoonful of mystery and that ever present dread of the dangers in this world and a sprinkling of action here and there. The world building simply brought me back to Salt in the Wound. I was once again reminded that this world holds many dangers and sometimes not the ones we first anticipate. I’ll touch on this more in the character development. Blackcap focuses mostly within the city confines where some dangers are minimized and others or present. We also spend a bit of time in the surrounding more rural area since Blackcap (our protagonist) is one of the few willing to venture out of town. The character development was done really well for such a short read. Our main arc with Blackcap himself was good as to be expected. But we also had another arc or two in a bit of an abbreviated path but still great for supporting the story. I will just mention again that people and things within this world aren’t always as they may first appear, whether good or bad. This was one of the things that interested me both within Salt in the Wound and now Blackcap. I really do need to work in book two from Rainfallen (Secret of the Thistle) early in 2024. World Building 4/5 Pacing 4/5 Character Development 4/5 |
3 Comments
Thanks for the review! I hadn’t heard of this series before. Do you think this is one where the #0.5 novella could work as an entry point, or do you need to read book one first?
Oh it would be an easy entry point for sure. The only preface I would give is this is very much a murder mystery type of fantasy read. Book one is heavier on the fantasy with a bit of mystery.
I can’t think of much in this that a reader wouldn’t understand from reading book one and I also don’t think it really spoils anything in book one either.
Ooh, awesome thanks! I do love fun novellas, and they can be a great way to try out a new author.