Matt and Jenny were joined by author Jonathan Maberry to discuss his May 10th, 2022 release of his fantasy Kagen the Damned. Watch our youtube interview to get an inside look at the story, characters and future of the series. Join the conversation in the comments and on social media.

For audio, please check out the 2 Broke Geeks Podcast to listen in.

Kagen The Damned by Jonathan Maberry

Release Date: 05/10/2022

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

The definition of a fantasy story Is “imaginative fiction dependent for effects on strangeness of setting (such as other worlds or times) and of characters (such as supernatural or unnatural beings). 

In Jonathan Maberry’s Kagen the Damned, all of those boxes have been checked. In his first venture in this genre, Maberry refuses to hold back and brings his dark style of storytelling to a strange magically violent world. 

Kagen the Damned is set some fifty thousand years into the future. The world we know today is no longer and is forgotten. The landscape has changed assumably by natural catastrophes and the people seem more primitive. Our cars have been long replaced back to horses. Instead of guns, they wield swords and daggers. This world does not appear to even have ghosts of our time, or at least anything they can recognize as a period of lost experiences. This erasing of history is a very poignant and repetitive theme in this tale and relates much to the epic fantasy world Kagen belongs to.

It takes no time to jump right into the mayhem when the Silver Empire falls to the Witch King within the first chapter. Kagen Vale is introduced to the horrors of the overthrown empire at the same time as the reader, stumbling to make sense of the wickedness around him. He is an oath-sworn captain of this fallen empire who has to come to terms that his oath had been broken, he has failed. He is damned. 

What I appreciate in Maberry’s writing style is that he doesn’t shy away from having his lead characters embracing tremendous flaws. They are our heroes page-by-page, yet you’ll find some of their actions can be disappointing and not expected for such an idol. Kagen proves that even the damned can entwine themselves in their shame but strive for vengeance and redemption. Kagen’s development from a drunken mess to an aspiring hero felt truly honest as I followed along beside him. There is a real life honesty in many of Maberry’s characters as we are introduced to them. An example I enjoyed was in the side adventure of Miri and Ryssa which created visually beautiful environments and a relatable innocence to the women. We are gifted with humor as well as an unexpected humility in Kagen’s friend Tuke as he teaches Kagen the world of thieves. Adding in Filia’s knack for stubbornness and loyalty, they all feel well rounded and with purpose.  

The big story arch is the reintroduction of the long banished use of magic. For many in this world, magic and monster were things from fairytales. Following the story as the characters have their world views turned upside down and the realization that monsters are real, was an absolute treat. There are mysteries from chapter to chapter. We keep track of who are friends or foe. We fall in love with Kagen’s companions, his allies and loves. We develop mistrust and understanding for some of the villains, the monsters and the main antagonist - The Witch King. 

Saying that I am super excited for this to now be a series would be an understatement. I am very anxious to find out what happens next. Will the characters that I now cherish be able to handle a world with Gods, vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, thieves, assassins and more? A world where magic can burn everything down, or make it beautifully grow?

Kagen The Damned will continue with the second book Son of the Poison Rose that is schedule to be released January 10th, 2023 and I can’t wait!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-seller, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, anthology editor, comic book writer, executive producer, magazine feature writer, playwright, and writing teacher/lecturer. He is the editor of Weird Tales Magazine and president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He is the recipient of the Inkpot Award, three Scribe Awards, and was named one of the Today’s Top Ten Horror Writers. His books have been sold to more than thirty countries. He writes in several genres including thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and mystery; and he writes for adults, middle grade, and young adult.