Storytellers On Tour is a Blog/Instagram Tour organising service. It was born out of Justine’s (Whispers & Wonder) and my love and dedication toward SFF indie books and authors. Our goal is to give as much exposure to our clients as we can, while we also build a community among our Roadies. Find out more about us on www.storytellersontour.online!
Due to an interesting coincidence, John Bierce published a fantasy novel about a pandemic during a pandemic (find out mour about that in his guest post linked below). This past week we gave the spotlight to The Wrack by John Bierce. Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews, interviews and guest posts. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore.
Shall we?


John Bierce is a history buff, fantasy and science fiction lover, and fan of talking about himself in the third person. He also has a background in the earth sciences, and has been caught licking rocks before. For science.


Plague has come to the continent of Teringia.
As the Wrack makes its slow, relentless march southwards, it will humble kings and healers, seers and merchants, priests and warriors. Behind, it leaves only screams and suffering, and before it, spreads only fear.
Lothain, the birthplace of the Wrack, desperately tries to hold itself together as the plague burns across it and its neighbors circle like vultures. The Moonsworn healers would fight the Wrack, but must navigate distrust and violence from the peoples of Teringia. Proud Galicanta readies itself for war, as the Sunsworn Empire watches and waits for the Wrack to bring its rival low. And the Wrack advances, utterly unconcerned with the plans of men.

Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!

AUGUST 2ND–THE WELCOMING
Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spotlight

AUGUST 3RD
Armed with A Book – review
“If you are looking for a light quick Fantasy, The Wrack is not the book for you. If you want to dive deep into the human psyche and what happens when a pandemic no one understand unleashes out of nowhere, then do pick up this book!”
@katsreadingcorner / Kat’s Reading Room – review
“The concept of being able to insert a gemstone eye that let’s you see into the spirit realm was really fascinating to me and I’ve not seen that on any of the other books that I read.”
Olliespot SFF Bookreview – review
“Although there are a couple of important, recurring characters, for the most part, each chapter drops us in to a new perspective, and allows us to see how this plague is impacting differing people, around the world. That to me was a real source of enjoyment and novelty, as each chapter was new and fresh. I enjoyed getting to see how different philosophies, social castes, sailors, madmen, and criminals experienced the Wrack.”

AUGUST 4TH
The Sword Smith – review
“I am really proud of John for being able to produce a story so close to the current world situation, big kudos for the coincidence and going with it. This is an enjoyable story, with an excellent episodic story, fantastic world building, a unique magic system and a flowing enjoyable writing style. I could not ask for more in a story, 10/10 from me!”
Spells & Spaceships – review
“Bierce has a real talent for evoking these uneasy feelings and eery atmosphere, of painting a world in terror. As someone who usually prefers ideas, plot and worldbuilding over a focus on characters, this was especially enjoyable and I felt it was a masterful book at achieving what it sets out to do. I very highly recommend it to readers with similar tastes to myself but also to people who just want to read something a little different to what they’re used to.”
Marginally Magical – review
“It is clever in its ideas, the prose is solid, and I read through the book at a fast pace. I was interested in what happened despite the things that I did not like. I think that anyone interested in immersive fantasy worlds will find something to love about this book. Beyond that, people engaged in fantasy that explores darker themes, particularly as it is very topically relevant, will also enjoy this book. It is worth picking up and spending time in the world, and, I think, to reflect on the present moment in our own.”

AUGUST 5TH
Out of This World SFF Reviews – review
“Ultimately, I very much enjoyed THE WRACK despite a couple of minor issues that I had. It delivered a satisfying story that kept me turning the pages. Yes it is a dark book and not for the faint of heart, but there are also some touching and very human moments that make this more than just a one-trick pony. I look forward to revisiting this world in future books (should there be more) and also checking out some of John’s other works.”
The Coycaterpillar Reads – review
“The Wrack gave me something that I didn’t realise I was looking for during this given time. A fantasy novel that is rooted in its epidemiological plight. So far, my reading career hasn’t had its path crossed with something quite as intricate and just plain fascinating as this story. This is a narrative that won’t grant you rest and relaxation. It keeps your brain ticking over, questioning aspects of the disease and the ultimate end game for many of the characters. It’s a fast-paced journey that resonates during our darkest days.”
Horror Tree – guest post
“A few months into the writing process on The Wrack, I started hearing rumors of some new virus in China. Four days after I sent The Wrack’s manuscript to my editor, the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
It’s been pretty surreal, to say the least.”

AUGUST 6TH
RedStarReviews – review
“For me the ending of a story really matters. I can forgive all kinds of flaws in books if you give me an ending that causes me to stop and say “That is the right ending for this story” and this book delivers on that. With the structure of this story it can be tricky to end a story like this but the author pulls it off masterfully.”
Fantasy Book Critic – interview

AUGUST 7TH
FanFiAddict – review
“…Bierce excels in world-building and writing a super depressing fantasy story about a plague-ravaged land. I also enjoyed the magic system, especially the use of semaphores as a communication network between cities. And yes, semaphores are actually a thing as I know how to Google, and these ain’t yo daddy’s semaphores.
All in all, I’d like to come back to this world, but I need a character I can get behind and journey alongside.”
Beforewegoblog – review
“I almost had to put it down initially because the feelings I felt, terror, despair, and the overwhelming urge to hide are what these characters are feeling in similar circumstances.
It was a hard thing to just read let alone, read a plague book.
So this book might not be one for all readers, right now. If you can’t take reading something dark with a plague angle to it right now, that is very understandable. But put this book on your TBR for better times, because this is a great story that is well done, even if it had some tiny issues. It is engaging, thought-provoking, and imaginative. I hope that in better times, this book gets all the love it should.”



If you are interested in The Wrack and would like to get in contact with John Bierce, you can find him on social media:
Find out more about Storytellers On Tour or join our team:
Grab a copy of The Wrack at your local Amazon!
1 Comment