This past week we gave the spotlight to Legacy of the Brightwash, the debut Gaslamp Grimdark Fantasy novel of Krystle Matar, and the first book in the Tainted Dominion series. Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews, interviews and other posts. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of Legacy of the Brightwash through our Q&A with Krystle!
Shall we?
Krystle Matar has been writing for a long time, but things got serious when Tashué Blackwood walked into her life, an amber-eyed whirlwind.
When she isn’t arguing with him or any of his friends, she parents and farms. She has a lot of children and even more animals and one very excellent husband.
She is currently working on lots of stories set in the Dominion. She expects to exist in this universe for a while.
Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong?
Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack.
Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions.
Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her?
Why was he the only one who cared?
Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for?
Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!
MARCH 7TH–THE WELCOMING
Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spolight
MARCH 8TH
Beneath A Thousand Skies – review
“To say I devoured the Legacy of the Brightwash would be an understatement, I literally couldn’t put it down for more than a few minutes at a time before I found myself having to pick it up again, because I needed to know what happened next. I needed the mystery to be solved. I needed to spend more and more time with the characters. Sleep was sacrificed on the altar of this magnificent book, and it was so worth it (even if I did have to nap the day afterwards), because this book drew me through so many emotions and left me hollowed out and full at the same time, and I’m going to cry about that ending again because I need more.”
Out of This World SFF Reviews – review
“I’ll conclude by saying that this book destroyed me in all of the best ways. It broke my heart, moved me to moments of intense anger but also hopefulness, and ultimately delivered one of the best stories I’ve ever read. If you skip this book you are really doing yourself a considerable disservice. Remarkable doesn’t even begin to describe the depth and quality of Krystle Matar’s LEGACY OF THE BRIGHTWASH. This should end up being THE must-read fantasy book of the year in my opinion.”
Sadie’s Spotlight – spotlight + IG spotlight
MARCH 9TH
Darksidereads – review
“For this being a debut novel I would recommend everyone to pay attention to Krystle Matar and any books she releases will automatically go on my TBR.”
The Book in Hand – review
“I was really left feeling that I’ve just been privy to the beginning of a series that’s going to be very special. I think that once you’re taken by Matars characters, the emotional investment is so overwhelming that you’ll be following these characters for as long as Krystle is happy to write about them. I really feel that Matar has burst out the gate with this stunning debut and it’s my feeling that she will very quickly establish herself within the fantasy genre. Krystle has clearly worked incredibly hard to forge something that is really original, something that shows huge innovation and creativity.The passion behind this book is abundantly clear and shines through as every aspect of this novel.
There are elements of this book that Abercrombie, Pierce Brown fans will absolutely love!! It’s my belief that Mr Abercrombie should be concerned because there is a new girl in town!!
I’m hugely invested in this series and will eagerly awaiting the next installment!!”
MARCH 10TH
I Can Has Books? – review + IG spotlight
“I wish I had this in a physical format, it would be tabbed up so I can go back and re-read some of the beautiful quotes that I came across. The writing in this book is some of the best I’ve read. There are moments through out this book that I FELT. Krystle Matar knows how to write. The raw emotions that jumped from the page, the fire and passion, the force at which banter and other exchanges where being made. The characters feelings came across so powerful. They weren’t just words on a page but feelings brought to life.
I cried, I gasped, laughed and I felt the fear, disgust and despair.”
Westveil Publishing – guest post: What Draws You To Grimdark? + IG spotlight
“Coming to grimdark was a slow process for me. Until the last few years, most of my book buying was very straight forward—wander into a bookstore, look at a million books, read a dozen first pages, look for some maps, and then buy more books than I could possibly read before the next time I went to a bookstore. Since I wasn’t online back then, I didn’t know many of the subgenre terms. I knew I liked certain authors, but I didn’t realize there was more ways to define the books I loved other than just “Fantasy”.
And then I came to Twitter.”
@theenchantedshelf – IG spotlight
MARCH 11TH
Fantasy Book Nerd – review
“I think you can guess I like this book, I like this book a helluva lot and it is definitely up there as one of my favorite books of the year. I simply cannot believe that this book is a debut, as Krystle Matar’s writing is so accomplished it is ridiculous. There is such a depth to her prose! Goodness knows what she is going to do next but I will be jostling my way through the multitude of admirers to get to the front and get my copy.”
Luke Tarzian – interview
@dibs.collection – review
“Legacy of the Brightwash is the first Indie book I have read and it did not fail to amaze and hook up my thoughts and imagination! It is indeed a good book (with hopeful few minor improvements). This is gonna be hitting my “read again and definitely recommend this book” shelf.”
MARCH 12TH
FanFiAddict – review
“This is a heartbreakingly beautiful story full of pain, betrayal, love and found family and friendship, of sacrifice and reclamation, and of what depths a parent will reach to protect their child. Not a word is wasted here, with everything written lending a depth of character and storytelling that I don’t often see. Books like this make me believe in the magic of storytelling, cementing in me the idea that reading can be a transformative experience. Legacy of the Brightwash is as close to perfection as a book can get.”
The Bookwyrm’s Guide to the Galaxy – interview
Al-Alhambra – review
“All I’ll say this is a terrific novel. A fantastic read. And you’re in for a great journey.”
Welcome to the Asylum, Krystle! Take a seat by the fire, have a glass of beverage of your choice and tell me something about yourself!
Hmm, well, I probably belong here, what with all the voices in my head.
What inspires your writing? Do you listen to music, stare into the fire, listen to the whispering of the wind, make deals with the Devil?
Life inspires me. Creativity inspires me. I love British police dramas, and period pieces. Other books inspire me—I want to make people feel as deeply as my favourite books have made me feel through the years. I listen to music too, and sometimes a good song puts new ideas in my head. Or sometimes it just sets the mood for what stories already exist. Deals with the Devil happened a long time ago 🙂
Describe an asylum set in the world of your book, Legacy of the Brightwash!
I suspect it won’t be a very pleasant place to be. With the industrial revolution underway, it will be a big, cold, hard building. And with the commodification of humanity, well… I don’t think they look too kindly on people who can’t quite fit in.
Your MC is locked in an asylum. What did he/she do to end up there?
He disrupted the status quo. He stood up and said, “we aren’t taking this anymore”. The only natural course for the authorities in the city is to silence him, before he gets his message out, and so they’ve dragged him away…
Which fictional character (it can be one of yours) and/or author would you like to live with in an asylum and why?
I feel like Angela Boord, Bjørn Larssen, and I would keep each other company. And we could pass our time writing more stories! Like a vacation! (Or something…)
While you are locked in here for eternity, we will allow you one book – what would you choose?
Is it tacky to choose mine? Actually, I don’t care—I choose mine. I wrote this book with all my favourite books, movies, and TV shows in mind. A little bit of fantasy, a little bit of murder mystery, a little bit of historical fiction. I can read it and see the pieces that were inspired by other stories, so it’s like having all my favourite books with me!
Well then, we hope you’ll enjoy your stay in the Asylum! Any last words? *locks door*
Last words? Well, if you’re reading my book now… I guess you’ll be joining me in here soon! See ya!
If you are interested in Legacy of the Brightwash and would like to get in contact with Krystle, you can find them on social media:
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Grab a copy of Legacy of the Brightwash on Amazon!
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