From the Depths (A Heart of Quinaria Novella), by B. S. H. Garcia
The Book
Synopsis:
The world can sustain the needs of many, but the greed of a few can destroy it for all.
In a life steeped in peril, the Brune family has thrived on the knife’s edge. Renowned for their smuggling and bounty exploits, Konar and Karliah’s parents command both respect and fear. Comfortable yet haunted, the family faces the constant threat of perilous assignments, leaving scars that even a parent’s protective embrace can’t heal.
Still, Konar dreams of scholarly pursuits, and Karliah sees the world as something ripe for the taking. When the emperor dangles an irresistible offer—a job to end their dangerous pursuits forever—the Brunes seize the chance. But there’s a catch: the item in question is little more than a myth, deemed impossible to find.
As the family embarks on the voyage of a lifetime, their bonds are tested like never before. Locating and securing the prize will require sacrifices beyond measure, and when your family is in the business of pirating, trust is the greatest myth of all.
From the Depths is a prequel novella that takes place roughly a thousand years prior to the events in Of Thieves and Shadows—volume one in the epic fantasy series, The Heart of Quinaria.
My Review
From The Depths is a new novella in the epic fantasy series The Heart of Quinaria, which brings more insight into the characters of Karliah and Konar, set about a thousand years before the main novels, written by B. S. H. Garcia. A novella which expands the story of said characters, and that puts a big focus on their family and their bond, a shared theme with the previous novella From The Ashes.
From the Depths is centered on the Brune family, a family whose pirating skills have brought the attention of the emperor; an attention that will make them to embark onto a bounty hunt for a mythical artifact that seems not much more than a rumour. A journey which we will experience through the eyes of the young siblings of the family, Karliah and Konar, using a dual POV.
And honestly, with not so many pages, Garcia manages to establish a deep connection between those characters, and creating a dynamic between both that certainly reflects how a pair of siblings behave in real life; portraying how that bond is one of the strongest you can experiment. The plot itself is full of emotion, especially coming from the whole family nucleus, struggling and fighting against the adversity and the rocks in their way.
Garcia's prose enhances the epicness of the novella, while creating beautiful and harrowing images of the places and creatures that appear in the novella. Sometimes the jump between the POV can be felt as a bit confusing, something that could have been avoided with a bit longer plot.
Said that, From The Depths is an excellent epic fantasy novella, which works both as standalone and as prequel to the main series created by B. S. H. Garcia; a novella which is a delight to read if you are looking for more families in your fantasy.
The Author/s
B. S. H. Garcia
We are all storytellers.
For some, it manifests through phone calls to friends or alcohol-infused boasting on a Friday night. To others, it means filling a canvas or baking an old family recipe. For me, storytelling is escapism, my form of self-expression, and the best way to understand this crazy world.
My passion for stories grew from orchestrating backyard epics with my siblings and summer after summer of library reading contests. After years of writing courses, short stories, a degree in English Writing from the University of Colorado, and some freelance work, I started Lost Relic Publishing in 2022 to release my debut novel, OF THIEVES AND SHADOWS, in 2023. It is the first installment of The Heart of Quinaria, an epic fantasy series with at least four books and four novellas/novelettes planned.
When I’m not writing SFF stories or fantasizing/cosplaying/reading about someone else’s, you can find me exploring Oregon’s beauty with my family or cooking up a storm–both often accompanied by wine.