So, it’s time to turn the promotion machine from The Holver Alley Crew up to eleven. Have you pre-ordered it yet? Are you still wondering what this whole “Streets of Maradaine” thing is about?
I’ve been wondering about that, the right way to pitch it, to talk about it. And then, lo and behold, last week at the SAG Awards, David Harbour says it nearly perfectly:
“We will shelter freaks and outcasts, those who have no home; we will get past the lies; we will hunt monsters; and when we are lost amidst the hypocrisy and casual violence of certain individuals and institutions, we will punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the meek, the disenfranchised and the marginalized, and we will do it all with soul, with heart and with joy.”
If that’s not the Rynax brothers at their core, friends, I don’t know what is.
Now, if you’re wondering if you need to be up-to-date on the Thorn and Constabulary books to read this: no. This series launches its own characters, and you can read it independent of the other books. This can be your entryway into Maradaine. But it can also enrich the Maradaine experience you’ve already had.
“The charming antiheroes will leave you rooting for them long after the dust settles.” —RT Book Reviews
“The whole narrative is tightly plotted, and each page makes you want to turn to the next – it’s got fires, knife fights, brawls, daring escapes, explosions, and a lot of heart – and as such, I’m looking forward to seeing what adventures the Holver Alley Crew go onto from here.” — SF and F Reviews
The Rynax brothers had gone legit after Asti Rynax’s service in Druth Intelligence had shattered his nerves, and marriage and fatherhood convinced Verci Rynax to leave his life of thievery. They settled back in their old neighborhood in West Maradaine and bought themselves a shop, eager for a simple, honest life. Then the Holver Alley Fire incinerated their plans. With no home, no shop, and no honest income—and saddled with a looming debt—they fall back on their old skills and old friends.
With a crew of other fire victims, Asti and Verci plan a simple carriage heist, but the job spirals out of control as they learn that the fire was no accident. Lives in Holver Alley were destroyed out of a sadistic scheme to buy the land. Smoldering for revenge, burdened with Asti’s crumbling sanity, the brothers lead their crew of amateurs and washouts to take down those responsible for the fire, no matter the cost.
Do you need to know more? Or do you just need some links?