Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Gruesome Endings, New Beginnings
SERIES: Calhoon and Ja-guen Trilogy #1
AUTHOR: Holliday Durange
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 150 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2024
BLURB:
Life and Death. Ecstasy and Agony. Love and Void.
Faced with a future of indebted labor, human gearheart Calhoon boards the abandoned space-freighter Resolute Roar, hoping his salvage finds will buy his freedom. But he is not alone. Beyond the scrap and valuables, a threat prowls the vessel’s metal halls, hunting for its
next meal, while an alien warrior fights for his survival against impossible odds.
Their fates are soon entwined and Calhoon and his unexpected warrior protector forge an alliance to navigate the perilous ship. As they dodge the lurking horrors in the Resolute Roar’s dark corridors, they discover something far more valuable than scrap: a deep, mutual attraction.
Embracing their alluring bond transforms their fear into a fierce love that might be the key to their salvation.
Together, they must unravel the mysteries of the freighter, confront the lurking dangers, and find out if their newfound love can conquer all…before the ship claims them both.
REVIEW:
Down on his luck, Calhoon took on a job to investigate some space wreckage – a spaceship called The Resolute Roar. On board, Calhoon believes he’s alone, but he isn’t. The ship and its inhabitants hold secrets. Nevertheless, Calhoon finds help, and more, in the form of Ja-guen, an empath soldier.
This story is a small part of a larger constellation. Ethnis is a tabletop roleplaying game and a Lore codex of over a million words and climbing – full of art, stories, and microfiction. I enjoyed the tale, but I think I’d have gotten more out of it if I’d been more familiar with Ethnis.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Calhoon and Ja-guen. Besides the occasional autonomous body part, the tale is in grammatical good order. Worldbuilding revolves around the broader universe of Ethnis, which reminded me of the world created in the Star Wars movie Solo in that those who are born poor must work their way to freedom, and those with power always want more. Short of a few paragraphs, this specific narrative begins and ends on the ship that lies on the border between zones. Hence, the more expansive cast is more conversational than actual.
Calhoon is a reasonably typical space pirate. He’s a talented hacker, able to hold his own, with a wish to be free from the constraints of his birth. Ja-guen is a delightful empath humanoid with animalistic/canine features, hailing from a different area of society and wishing to do his duty as a soldier. In the face of adversity, the two were thrown together, and after hours of surviving in various life-or-death situations, they formed a bond.
The more expansive universe aside, this story has love, drama, murder, battles, and a mystery that could span the series. Although, each book seems to have a tale that is concluded within the pages. This is a sweet story of two individuals working together, surviving hairy moments, and still leave with salvage.
If you are into your sci-fi, this is worth a read, as even without the wider universe, it is a sweet space tale. Some jargon was confusing, but those familiar with Ethnis will probably understand more. Gruesome Endings, New Beginnings is a good tale. If I had been more aware of the roleplaying game and the universe involved, I believe I would have appreciated it more and probably loved it.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: