A Crucible of Souls: The Sorcery Ascendant Sequence, Book 1

Hogan’s debut, appearing for the first time in print after digital self-publication in 2013, is a multiple-narrator tale of sorcery and madness that draws upon grimdark and adventure-quest epics in equal parts—but not in the best ways. Caldan, an orphaned boy with rare powers, is taken in by monks and allowed to train at an exclusive monastery. But when he comes of age and commits a terrible crime, he’s cast out and sent to find the truth behind his parents’ murders. Culture shock thrusts the novice sorcerer into a larger network of dark plots and murderous intent, all centered on destructive sorcery, a barbaric art long thought impossible. Hogan’s description of raw magic ability, which is given nuance by its frequent connection to alchemical properties, will remind many readers of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. In fact, much of the book’s slow setup consists of a series of patchwork tropes hustled along through Hogan’s frequently clunky expository dialogue. Once some patchy worldbuilding is established, the book becomes somewhat more readable, aside from the gratuitous violence—sometimes sexual—inflicted on women for the purpose of motivating male characters. (Sept.)