Christopher Mitchell
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When World’s End by Mitchell was released, I’ll admit I actually shed more than a few tears. It was the end of an era; an end to the wonderfully crafted Holdfast family. Or so I thought. Turns out, I was wrong – and never have I ever been so happy to admit that. Serpent Dominion is the first book in Mitchell’s new series, and believe me, it’s a stunning opener filled with battles, betrayal and beasts. There’s intrigue, racial conflict and a complicated political system in the world of Athumia that’s bubbling over with magic, power and greed. As ever in Mitchell’s books, before the story begins the reader is given a brief history of that world and a succinct explanation of the hierarchy – which helps the reader begin to understand the structure of the world we’re about to enter.
Serpent Dominion is set entirely upon the isle of Zamata – which the ruling Dragon Overlords have dubbed The Serpent Isle due to its distinctive shape – and so makes it a place of religious significance to the people and dragons of the Dominion. Zamata is located just a few hundred miles from the enemy mainland of Gunst – making it a place of political and strategic importance to the Dominion as if the Gunstian Empire was to ever attempt to invade the Dominion, Zamata would be the first location they would occupy.
The Governor of the island is the daughter of the mighty Dragon King Gahad (who we actually met briefly in World’s End); and she rules the island from a lavish palace along with her mate and her infant son. The royal Dragon’s are protected by Bullan Soldiers – a humanoid race with horns and a tail who hail from their own corner of the world of Athumia who are allied with the Dominion. The Dragon’s are then served by members of the Dragon Corps – a military style division with its own ranks and commands. Aside from the Dragon Corps and Bullan, an army and navy also exists which protects the Dominion, as well as local militia which is paid by the Dominion to ensure the peace is kept within its colonies without having to deploy the official military.
The native Zamatans are treated by the Dominion colonists as little more than servants – not able to even afford housing in the islands’ main city. They’re forced to live in small communities or slums and well paid work is hard to come by; native Zamatan women are little more than whores to the occupying Dominion soldiers. Although the locals are used to the colonisation of their home, there is discontent spreading among them. It wasn’t unusual for ‘gifted’ people to be lynched and for Zamatans to disappear in the night for the smallest infraction and be sold into slavery. They’re discontent; but they also don’t want the religious zealots of Gunst to be their rulers. They crave independence.
Not that the Zamatans are entirely united, either. In the past, Bullan soldiers had mated with the native women, and some children born from this union developed some Bullan characteristics – namely horns, a tail or both. These children would be ostracised; some of them being mutilated by their own families or strangers. They’d be beaten, have their horns filed down to their skull or have their tails hacked off. Those who survived those ordeals or who managed to escape before they had to endure them, would band together in their own communities and try to scrape their way through their life.
And, it’s into this melting pot that our story begins as news of King Gahad’s death reaches his daughter on the distant isle. Talk of revolution thickens the air as the islander’s realise that with the departure of the Governor, they have a small window of time to take back their home from the colonising oppressors. But, along with the departure of the governing dragon, the Gunstian’s will also try to take over the island. There’s soon a race against time as the revolutionaries fend off opponents from two sides…
It’s always so difficult to succulently and coherently sum up a Christopher Mitchell novel – especially as there’s so much background and history to each and every world. Not to mention the fact that the world’s are all connected (such as our brief visit to Athumia in World’s End), and many breadcrumbs and Easter-eggs are dropped through each book. Please, don’t let my clumsy summation put you off reading Serpent Dominion, because it’s honestly one of the best yet in his MagelandsVerse. It’s filled with his delightful mix of flawed heroes and narcissistic vilIn lains who could smooth talk their way out of pretty much any tight spot. It’s fully immersive, taking you to the sun-drenched island with its beautiful inlets and countryside and its contrasting cities of affluent occupiers and slum-like tenements of the native islanders. It’s an intensely rich mix of love and war, hatred and friendship, intrigue and innocence. Mitchell can world build like no other author – in fact, his brain could be the Sextant – the books his worlds.
In short – if you want to read any of Mitchell’s books, but don’t know where to start, this new series could be a great place. We’re with new characters on a new(ish) world – and exciting adventures await. But, I’d start now – as more new books are promised soon…
S. A.
Serpent Dominion was sent to me directly by Christopher Mitchell in return for an honest review.
Want to read it? Serpent Dominion will be released on June 30th 2023 and is available to order from Amazon. It will also be available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited.
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