Proxies of Fate

Proxies of Fate is out. I have never written a book review, and to be honest I don't read very many. But I had to post about this novel, and not just because we put the novel out.

I was lucky enough to be taking a turn as a slush reader when this novel came in. I only had to read the first three chapters and tell Jessy if I liked it or not. But when she requested the manuscript I had to get a copy just for me to read (and I really don't like reading fiction on a computer screen). This is a really great novel, Matthew sets up his scenes in such a great way. You can picture everything in the story.

The story is sci-fi, the annotation follows. When you are reading it it is obvious that Matthew loves comic books, the action is awesome, and I love Matthew's writing style. It reminded me of George RR Martin's writing.

The world teeters on the brink of hope and despair during the worldwide Great Depression of the 1930s.

Out of the darkness come the Krush, brutal warriors and destroyers of worlds. Drawn by the Earth's glow, they seek death and conquest. Their genocidal invasion is halted in orbit by the last of the Theria, godlike protectors of the universe. Forced into an unsteady armistice, the two factions agree to a battle by proxy to settle the fate of Earth.

Chris Donner, a jaded Great War veteran, is granted the divine powers of the Theria and strives to understand why he has been given such a gift. Li Chen, an idealistic Chinese peasant, is chosen by the Krush and becomes the fabled Dragon King. Both men irrevocably change history as they are drawn together in a final battle to decide the outcome of mankind.