Fixer, the free short story delivered as an introduction to the soon to be published We Are Not Good People, is a great introduction to the dark, gritty, vicious and often brutal world that Jeff Somers has created for his Ustari Cycle. One of the things Jeff does so well is weave humor into his post apocalyptic, people are generally bad narratives. Anyone who has read his Avery Cates series can attest to how entertaining this recipe can be. As a result, Fixer showcases a world of con artists and hustlers all the way through to megalomaniacs, but without the heavy, drag you down feeling so many “grimdark” novels elicit. Sometimes, even in the worst of situations, your only real defense is laughter, and this philosophy comes through in spades in all of Jeff’s work.

The best part of where I see this series going is the cost and consequence of the magic system. It opens up a million interesting questions and scenarios that we get to see the characters explore. The price of magic is blood. More blood equals more powerful magic.

Download File Size:4.22 MB

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