Review by Tanaka Mhlanga -- Masters and Bastards

[Tanaka Mhlanga]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Masters and Bastards" by Christopher J. Penington.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Masters and Bastards by Christopher J. Penington is a work of science fiction with elements of war drama, political drama, romance and telepathic powers bordering on superhuman. The work follows momentous events taking place in the life of Andreas Marset, who due to his telepathic prowess, has become infamous within the Iberian upper class. The work is set in the futuristic, fictional world of Poltervaut and other earth-like planets, where telepathic ability has become a major resource. The book is very much focused on political rise and strategies, as well as world building.

The work is written in rather convoluted language, such that the use of a dictionary or general contextual understanding of certain words may be necessary. That aspect aids in the creation of the technologically advanced world. The sophisticated and complicated wording of the storytelling matches the narrative very well. The author has taken his liberties and has picked and chosen certain aspects from historical eras and merged those with his own original world features, and has created a highly interesting setting. One may find that the dressing of the characters may be derived from the Victorian era, whilst some names and achitecture seem to be inspired by the Ancient Roman Empire. Weaponry and technology are mostly original ideas.

The pacing of the story is very fast. The story pans over multiple years with a variety of conflicts and events taking place within a chapter. It is a work that can easily be read in one sitting as it rarely falls into monotony. There are no unintentional spelling errors, the errors that are there appear to be characterisation tools. The book appears to have been professionally edited despite some errors in the placement of speech commas that made it difficult to discern at times if the text was narration or the speech of a character. These errors are few and far between and are for the most part inconsequential.

It must be stressed that this work is suitable for an adult audience only. The work is rife with profane language and crass imagery. The author really fulfills the general stereotype of soldiers' speech being uncouth and vulgar. There is erotic content which, though not outright explicit, is highly suggestive. The sexual acts are artfully written, such that they successfully call a spade a spade without going too deep into the nitty-gritty. There is violence in the work and descriptions of war that are at times very graphic.

In addition to the adult imagery and profane language, there are mature themes dealt with in this work that would make it unacceptable to some readers. There is polygamy, incest and mentions of homosexuality. The main character is often referred to and used a a stud, purely for breeding purposes. There is also discussion of religion brief jabs at Christianity but the overall stance of the narrative is not decidedly negative or positive. This aspect may also be a bit touchy for some readers.

I would rate the book a four out four. I particularly enjoyed the world that the author built in this work. It was especially enjoyable to piece together the different aspects to the era from which they were inspired. The other outlandish additions like monsters and aliens fit in well to the entire narrative without being a jumble. The characters were well fleshed out and the conflict though at times not relatable, were believable. The political aspect of this book gave it an extra intellectual edge, and took it past just casual entertainment which I found excellent.

It did seem that some aspects were added just for the fun of it, with no real purpose, to the point where it became excessive. That, however may simply be a matter of taste. The vulgarity of the content sometimes was a bit offputting but that also is a massive tool in the overall impact of the work. The punch of the book would be diminished if that aspect were toned down even just a bit, so that also cannot truly be faulted. I enjoyed the book immensely, and would freely recommend it to other readers.

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Masters and Bastards
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