Long ago, a godlike being known as the Cognoscens Wayfarer selected three sentient primate species (the Wati, the Crivien, and the Vidogs) on the planet Bellosio to elevate. After guiding them for some time (a period when miracles and incredible feats of magic were common), Wayfarer leaves—but the energy known as “Cog” is still available, and occasionally offers mysterious guidance. Those who can access the Cog can perform magical actions called samindhas.
There are hints of a new age known as the Great Withdrawal, when the Cog itself will no longer be accessible, and political turmoil has come to the Wati Empire. An assassination attempt against the aged and exhausted Emperor Gazidja is part of a secret plot by his powerful advisor Count Selwin to seize power from the old man. Gazidja’s daughter, Danaba, is the heir apparent, but in the midst of her efforts to choose a suitor she realizes she must instead establish herself as the warrior princess her people will support in the coming power struggle. Meanwhile, the Cog-denying Inviates, who produce advanced machines and devastating weaponry, conspire to undermine belief in the Cog throughout the empire by sending a man named Bordor (bred to be immune to Cog influence) to infiltrate and subvert the old ways. Meanwhile, the Crivien hordes mass on the borders and the survival of the empire appears to be in grave danger.
In BELLOSIO: An Age of Miracles, John F. Shekleton drops the reader into the deep end. Although a glossary and a list of characters and places are provided, there is very little explanatory exposition in the story. While this initially raises the difficulty level, it also creates a firm, real-feeling fictional universe. And that universe teems with ideas as characters struggle to understand their role in a world that was influenced by a higher being and then partially abandoned.
The story is equally complex, with many moving parts and a large cast of characters, each with their own interiority and agenda. It’s all very skillfully done without sacrificing pacing; the story moves quickly despite the level of detail, and many mysteries are solved by the end in a satisfying way.
One small complaint has to do with the way Bordor and Danaba rise as heroes, as each has a moment where they achieve great things not through their own resources but rather as beneficiaries of the Cog. While this makes sense in this universe, it also takes characters with great potential and turns them into puppets (if only temporarily), which is slightly disappointing.
Overall, however, BELLOSIO: An Age of Miracles is a deft, well-imagined story that any fan of epic fantasy or science fantasy will enjoy.
John F. Shekleton’s BELLOSIO: An Age of Miracles is a deeply imagined work of sci-fantasy that boasts effortless pacing, lush details, and very little hand-holding.
~Jeff Somers for IndieReader