Infernal

‘Infernal’ is the intriguing start of a new fantasy trilogy packed with magic, dry humour, and mystery. It has an old-school fantasy feel, yet the twists – especially the finale – feel fresh and unpredictable. For a debut author, de Jeger is incredibly assured, taking risks which initially made me doubtful but which work brilliantly, adding an air of cloaking and uncertainty without detracting from the story.

Stratus wakes up alone. He knows very little except that the body he is in is not his own, and that he doesn’t seem to be its only occupant. Determined to find some answers, he sets off in search – only to stumble into a conspiracy of war, religion, and magic, with everyone convinced he’s on the other side. He isn’t helped by his complete lack of knowledge of human nature – or by his body’s companion, a being of pure rage which occasionally seizes control.

Mark de Jeger’s decision to tell an epic fantasy story with a single POV is unusual enough, but when that character also has near-total amnesia it becomes an even bigger risk. Stratus doesn’t understand the world, humanity, or even himself. This empathy barrier means each character except Stratus feels two-dimensional, yet it works – partly because Stratus himself is so intriguing, and partly because Stratus’s attempts to understand them are often darkly hilarious. De Jeger straddles the line between mystery and confusion expertly, revealing just enough at key moments to keep things engaging, but also making the final reveal a total – yet believable – shock.

Stratus doesn’t know what he is, but everyone else is convinced he’s some sort of demon – and gradually, throughout the book, this affects how he views himself too. He doesn’t share most human morals – quite happy to kill without compunction, take whatever he needs, and manipulate others with his sorcery – but he does respect and appreciate kindness and have a certain degree of loyalty. For a character who does pretty much a terrible thing per page, he’s a surprisingly likeable protagonist, making you root for him even when you’re not sure you should.

The world building is minimal – mostly because Stratus is more focused on who and what he is than what’s going on around him – but the magic system is fully fleshed out and developed. As systems go, it’s very conventional, but I love the descriptions of the Songlines and what it feels like to use them. It also has clear rules and limitations, meaning no character is ever over-powered.

Overall, this is an excellent debut, one that takes risks but ensures they pay off. Recommended for fans of non-human protagonists, dry and dark humour, and fantasy-mysteries.

“I need to do something you probably won’t like very much. I know I won’t.” “You’re not stabbing me again.” “No,” I said, pointing to the body. “I just need to eat his brain.”

For all the brain-eating and decapitation that goes on in Infernal, this should be a dark, rather horrifying book. It is not. It’s actually quite funny (and not always in a gallows humour kind of way), with some beautiful world building and a couple of intriguing characters to lend weight to the story.

Stratus is…Stratus doesn’t know what he is. His blue-black skin, enormous build and second set of teeth would suggest not human though. So too would his ability to punch down trees and pluck arrows from his skin like flowers from a vase. And then there’s his ability to see in the dark.

Waking in a field, Stratus determines to find a city and ask its wise men to help identify him. But reaching the city isn’t easy when war rages between Penullin and Krandin and soldiers see him as either a threat to eradicate or a prize to capture. And even when he reaches the city, who’s to know who to trust, and who has time to help with an enemy army darkening the doorstep? Stratus can only react to the immediate threats and hope that, with time, all will become clear.

Stratus is not human and does not hold the same moral beliefs, expectations or values as (most) humans do. They do not differ wildly, and he has his moments of tenderness and gentility, but, on the whole, his blatant lack of concern for human life and civil behaviour (think brain eating) gives him away. That said, neither is he bloody-thirsty or sadistic like many a human antagonist. He simply does what he needs to do and moves on. Oddly, I found myself respecting him for that, and loving him for his dry humour.

“We are beneath St Tomas.” “What? How can you be sure? “The magic singing rainbow told me.”

One review I read before reading Infernal myself compared Stratus to Jack Reacher. I can definitely see the similarities. However, one thing I particularly liked about Infernal was that Stratus was not, in fact, invincible. He’s good in a fight, sure, but also fails (annoyingly frequently) to consider that the opposition may have a mind and talents of their own, and that leads to his own fair share of failures. Fortunately, his confidence and capability are not accompanied by the usual swaggering bravado, and Stratus is quite capable of conceding the fight to fight another day, or of admitting admiration or even fear when he feels it. I liked him, but better, I was intrigued by him.

I also liked Tayana Henkman, his sidekick of sorts. She’s capable without needing to shove that capability down your throat, and even-tempered, but not bland. Her interactions with Stratus form the basis for much of the humour in the book and did make me smile.

“I have yet to read of a demon who would save someone’s life or who likes eggs for breakfast and fine sculpture.”

I’m looking forward to seeing more of her and finding out if their relationship develops beyond friendship and admiration. It would also be nice to see more of Lucien, who can an initial look-in but then somewhat faded into the background.

In terms of world-building, I was reminded a little of games like Age of Empires, where the world you can see expands with time and as your scouts explore. Stratus’ world begins with a single field and grows to include a forest, and then a road and then more. It’s a clever technique because it allows you to digest the world in manageable chunks whilst maintaining that a wider world does exist and life there is carrying on.

In general, I liked Jager’s writing style. In particular, I liked his exploration of the world through smell – a perspective I found unusual but compelling – and his emphasis on how it felt to wield magic, rather than simply the mechanics of how it was done (incidentally this is barely touched upon). I was disappointed that he included so many racial slurs (Stratus is the only black character in the book and is seen as unusual for his colouring) and wish Jager could have found some other, less fraught, way to isolate Stratus. The end was also somewhat of a disappointment. I LOVED the twist but felt that that it was used as an excuse for an otherwise rather abrupt ending. That said, it does leave me wanting to read more so I guess that’s a win.

All in all, an enjoyable read which delicately balances gory action with good humour and a solid story. I’ll be looking out for Firesky next year.

For recommendations on what to read next (or whether you might like this based on books you've read), check out my blog, Off-Planet Books here: www.off-planet-books.co.uk/reviews/infernal-by-mark-de-jager

How could you not be immediately interested in a book where the main character wakes up paralyzed and amnesiac in a field?? And he’s also about to get his eyeballs pecked out by vultures, which immediately cranks up the tension, you know? It only gets wilder and more action packed from this point forward. Stratus, our dear, amnesiac MC is an extremely powerful man and since he can’t remember anything, he also lacks certain social graces. The demon in his head doesn’t help things either because it has quite the taste for human flesh.

Has that piqued your interest yet? If it hasn’t, or if it has thoroughly repulsed you, you should maybe pick a different book. It only gets weirder and more interesting from that point onward – necromancy, worm lords, war, and Stratus stumbling through literally every social situation he encounters.

It almost goes without saying that I loved this book and the narration is absolutely wonderful if you enjoy audio format. This is just the beginning of a series and it sets up the outline for major conflict and introduces us to our characters. Stratus of course is our MC and he’s truly a fascinating guy. I spent much of the book wondering if he truly had a demon in his head, or if it was perhaps something a little more scaly and drakine based on the cover art. I’ll leave you to puzzle that out for yourself. The minor characters are not quite as well fleshed out, but it is only the first book in the series. I expect they will get much more page time in the next book. We’ve also only been told of the big bad Worm Lord and met a few cronies that were suitably threatening.

Overall, I have to say this was an impressive beginning to a series that I think could be one of my new favorites. I am really, really looking forward to the sequel for more bloodshed and action but mostly, I can’t wait for more of Stratus’ past to become clear! It’s so vague for almost the entirety of the book until a few tidbits are slipped in near the end when he encounters one of the Worm Lord’s henchmen. This was not too dark of a read, and I literally laughed out loud several times when Stratus made social gaffs. Honestly, I never thought cannibalism could be funny but when he mentioned having eaten someone’s arm with such nonchalance I totally lost it. That might say more about my sense of humour than anything else though.