Shawn Speakman’s The Undone Life of Jak Dreadth (The Tempered Steel of Antiquity Grey #0.5)
Description
The battle for Erth still rages in the skies above as Jak’s sabotaged war mech crashes in the desert wastes.
Born and raised in one of Erth’s ruling families, Jak has known politics and ambition all his life. But when politics and ambition land him in the unforgiving desert with little chance of survival, he comes face to face with a whole new way of living.
With his new experiences in stark contrast to his old way of life, and the battle for Erth bringing into question if his old life is even possible to return to, Jak must decide where he stands now. Whatever he decides, his past could cast an inescapable shadow on both his future and on the shifting sands of Erth’s history
Disclosure
I personally bought this book. There was no agreement with the author, publisher, or any third party that I would publish a review. The following review is unsolicited, unbiased, and all opinions are my own.
Review – Spoiler Free
I read Shawn Speakman’s The Tempered Steel of Antiquity Grey last year (read my review here), and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. So when The Undone Life of Jak Dreadth went on sale at Speakman’s book shop, The Signed Page, I snagged a copy. Dreadth is a novella set smack at the start of the Splinter War that Erth is still reeling from a few generations later in Grey.
I loved that The Undone Life of Jak Dreadth provides more history and context for Erth. You can feel the complications and the connections already forming that will come into play in Grey. That said, you can very easily read Dreadth before or after Grey, and vice versa. Both stories are independent of each other, yet also build on each other. But I wouldn’t suggest reading Dreadth only. While it’s story could be read standalone, half the fun of reading it is getting more context to Erth and its inhabitants, and to the Splinter War and the invading Imperium.
Much of Dreadth follows Jak as he finds himself again, after his world completely shifts and he is introduced to a new reality that is very opposite to the life he has known. As such, it has a lot of a self-discovery vibe in it, along with the action and adventure that comes with a sci-fi. And, again just like Grey, Dreadth has many dystopian aspects, but it doesn’t some across dark and gritty as many dystopians do.
Dreadth could do with another quick edit, not for plot or consistency but for wording. There are some spots where the word choice is a little confusing, weird, or redundant. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough that it can throw you out of the story for a moment.
Also of note, while Dreadth is a prequel novella, book 0.5 in The Tempered Steel of Antiquity Grey series, it also seems to be a book 1 of its own series. A fact that isn’t mentioned until the back matter, which irritates me. Just like Dreadth can be read before or after reading Grey, because of its standalone plot, Dreadth can also be read on its own in the series. It has full story and character arcs, and doesn’t leave off on a cliffhanger but rather on hope and promise. But, as stated above, most of what makes Dreadth good is what it adds to the world it’s written in, so while it can be read standalone, I wouldn’t suggest it.
Overall, I liked Shawn Speakman’s The Undone Life of Jak Dreadth. It was a quick read and I enjoyed what it brought to the world Speakman has created. I will keep an eye out for the second in the Dreadth series as well as the second in the Grey series, as the world has drawn me in enough. I would recommend The Undone Life of Jak Dreadth to people who have read, or plan to read The Tempered Steel of Antiquity Grey (again, you can read my review here), and who like reading adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy.
Quote
Feeling his staff’s warmth connect with his being, he cast his mind, heart, and will through it and beyond, calling on whatever power he now possessed. His call went into the world through the bottom of his staff. It did not take long to feel it answered.
The Undone Life of Jak Dreadth, Shawn Speakman
Ratings
- Quality of Writing – 2
- Plot – 3
- World Building – 4
- Characters – 3
- Ease of Reading – 4
- Pictures/ Illustrations – 3 (map)
- Overall Enjoyment – 2
- Final Rating – 3 (Actual: 3.0) – Liked It
Want to learn more about the numbers I use for rating, and the qualities I’m thinking about when writing a book review? Check out my post How I Rate and Review.