The novels of The Weep: Nightwatch on the Hinterlands and Nightwatch Over Windscar
(DAW, October 2021 and November 2022). Covers by Tim Green/Faceout

I’m pretty much an impulse buyer. When I pick up a book and it mentions monsters, interstellar Confederations, extra-dimensional horrors, subterranean ruins, witches, and decommissioned battle mechs — all in the first two paragraphs — I’m usually sold.

That’s exactly what happened when I read the inside jacket copy for Nightwatch Over Windscar, the new novel by K. Eason. I paid for that damn thing and had it home before I even finished the third paragraph of the jacket copy.

If I’d paid even the teeniest bit of additional attention, I might have also noticed that it’s the second book of The Weep, a two-book series set in the world of Eason’s popular science fantasy Thorne Chronicles, which opened with How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse and continued in How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge. Doesn’t look like you need to read those books to enjoy The Weep… good thing, because tracking down the first book, Nightwatch on the Hinterlands, is effort enough. I was looking forward to riding out this massive winter storm and Christmas break with what I have on hand.

[Click the images to watch bigger versions.]

The Rory Thorne novels (DAW, 2019-2020)

Still and all, having more of a good thing isn’t anything to complain about.

Kirkus Reviews got me straight on how the new series fits in with the old, with its enthusiatic review of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands.

Years have passed since the events of How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge (2021), and the war between the colonizing forces of the vakari Protectorate and, well, everyone else is long over. Vakari who were opposed to the Protectorate eventually broke away, starting a civil war, and that war came to an end when the Protectorate accidentally ripped a hole in reality itself. This rip, the Weep, supplied surges of horrifying monsters, the Brood, and hasty alliances were made… When a wichu arithmancer is found brutally murdered, Gaer is in a unique position to help Iari investigate. And Iari will need his friendship, as well as his protection, when her virtue and sense of justice lead her to pursue the murderer at all costs… Iari and Gaer’s dynamic is engaging, and the shaky alliances amid a magical disaster provide a lot of interesting political tension perfect for complementing Eason’s excellent action sequences.

What about the book I actually have, the very intriguing Nightwatch over Windscar? Publishers Weekly has a nice write-up.

Cantankerous Templar-Initiate Iari is promoted to captain after successfully leading a mission to save civilians from a lethal army of Confederation separatists, but things take a turn when she and her team discover that the separatists aren’t the only ones working to bring destruction to the Confederation. The separatists have allied with murderous cultists led by a mysterious arithmancer. Together, they’ve created mutilated, part-human, part-cyborg beings called One-Eyes in the name of their god, Axorchal One-Eye. Worse, the cult has created a portal that enables the One-Eyes to easily eradicate their enemies. The odds are not with Iari and her misfit friends as they infiltrate the cult to destroy this portal. Eason packs in cool action sequences, deeply complex characters, and an excess of specialized terminology and technically detailed worldbuilding…

I’ll start with these are then decide if want to turn to How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse, the tale of a self-rescuing princess in a space-opera universe. Kirkus, Booklist, and Library Journal gave that one a hat trick of starred reviews:

“Readers will be clamoring for the second installment before Chapter One is over… this story delights from cover to cover. The political intrigue never fails to surprise, each character is layered and compelling, and there’s a perfect balance between science-fiction action and fairy-tale fantasy. Do not, under any circumstances, miss out on this.” — Kirkus 

“An intergalactic adventure that enthralls in its own right, striking that ideal balance between original and familiar…. A delightful start to what promises to be a smart, unique series.” — Booklist 

“Beautifully layered, endlessly entertaining…. Using a mixture of hacking skills and hexes, political maneuvering, martial arts, and flirting, Rory manages to destroy the multiverse and control her own fate. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal

Here’s the publishing details for The Thorne Chronicles.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (408 pages, $26 hardcover/$17 paperback/$13.99 digital, October 8, 2019)
How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge (416 pages, $27 hardcover/$17 paperback/$14.99 digital, October 27, 2020)

And the two books in The Weep.

Nightwatch on the Hinterlands (416 pages, $27 hardcover/$18 paperback/$14.99 digital, October 19, 2021)
Nightwatch Over Windscar (472 pages, $28 hardcover/$14.99 digital, November 8, 2022)

See all our coverage of the best new fantasy series here.