Why You Need to Read: “Tower of Mud and Straw”

Tower of Mud and Straw

By: Yaroslav Barsukov

Published: February 21, 2021

Genre: Fantasy

            The tower took the length of the world—only it was an alien world, replicating itself over and over as it climbed to a distinct, ghostly gap into the clouds. Or did he stare down a well? (Part I. The Duchy. 5).

            Critics have an interesting job. They review a genre of media—books, films, video games, etc.—and they offer their thoughts and opinions on each one for the public to have a perceived notion before experiencing it for themselves. While it sounds like an ideal job, many do not know critics are expected to review the “poor” and/or the “bad” works as well. Not to mention, the amount to review never seems to decrease. And yet, critics continue to do it because they enjoy it. So, what happens when a request is sent to them from the creator directly? One of two things: either the request is granted, or it gets shuffled into the pile until further notice. In the case of Yaroslav Barsukov, the former happened and I read his novella, Tower of Mud and Straw, a fantasy story that pays homage to familiar tropes while presenting his twists to his readers.

            The protagonist in this story is Shea Ashcroft, the former Minister of Internal Affairs and the former councilor to Queen Daelyn. Shea was stripped of his position after he refused a direct order and is sent to Owenbeg—the kingdom’s border—as the new “intendant” to oversee the construction of a massive tower. Shea, who knows this is a combination of a test and a punishment, arrives to learn about the tower’s construction or lack thereof. Once Shea observes the tower, he learns a truth which triggers a series of traumatic events from his past. Suddenly, Shea is torn between his role and his status, and his knowledge about the potential consequences surrounding the Tower’s completion. Shea demands that the Duke halts the Tower’s construction, which goes against Brielle’s—the Chief Engineer—goals of seeing the Tower completed in record time. Patrick is the Duke’s Military Counselor who is searching for whoever is sabotaging the Tower’s construction. Then, there is Aidan, a man who is obsessed with the Tower’s completion no matter what the cost is so that he can see it through. And, there are 2 women named Lena. The first Lena is the Duke’s Counselor of Arts, and the Duke’s lover. The second Lena is Shea’s (twin?) sister whose been dead for several years. All of these characters forces Shea to confront both his traumas and his fears as he chooses to do what is right instead of his duty.

            The plot in this story revolves around the construction of the Tower. The queen has ordered the airship tower to be built for society and for her legacy. However, Shea discovers that the Tower is being built faster than possible. This is because Brielle has been using Drakiri devices—which Shea’s sister called “tulips”—in order to build the Tower to massive size and expectations. As he processes this information, Shea learns from Patrick that there have been sabotage attempts on the Tower. Shea believes it is the Drakiri devices and demands to have them removed. But, Patrick believes there is a more “primitive” attempt to stop the Tower’s construction. There are 3 subplots in this story. The first subplot focuses on Shea’s new responsibilities and the consequences of not seeing them through—2 men attempt to assassinate him for opposing reasons. The second subplot surrounds the legends of the “Mimic” Tower, which are told to him by Lena—the Duke’s lover—who is part Drakiri and is familiar with the culture and the technology of her ancestors. The third subplot delves into Shea’s past, especially his sister, Lena, what led to her death, and why he ignored all of the signs which led him to make a decision with lethal consequences. Not only do all of these subplots connect to the plot related to the Tower’s construction, but also as to why Shea Ashcroft makes the choices he does throughout the story knowing the outcome won’t change. 

            The narrative is told from Shea’ point-of-view. However, the sequences are presented using different narrations. Most of the narrative is told in 3rd-person limited narrative, meaning readers know what is happening to Shea, but any inner monologues or thoughts are presented in 1st-person narrative. This change in narration illustrates the inner conflicts Shea deals with throughout the story, and these moments of streams-of-consciousness not only present Shea as a reliable narrator, but also presents the conflicts and the protagonist as relatable. What does it take to make a “good” decision? The protagonist’s flashbacks throughout the narrative are written so that they are easy to follow along as well. 

            The style Yaroslav Barsukov uses in Tower of Mud and Straw is a fantasy story with a steampunk setting and elements of folklore which is part political thriller and part cautionary tale. The language used by the author focuses on the “political” aspects found within the world-building as well as the culture of the “immigrants” and their “contribution” to the society they reside in. What happens when more emphasis is placed on the benefits of an unknown technology instead of its origins? And, what happens when “stories” are no longer “just stories”? And, when every side wants you dead, how will you “go out”? The mood in this novella is eerie. There is an unnatural state in the atmosphere, which is brought on by the Tower, but it seems most of the denizens decide to ignore it and say that it’s people and NOT the Unknown who are bringing this change in the atmosphere. The tone in this story is revelation. What happens when there is truth to legends, and they are linked to a personal tragedy? What would you do?

            The appeal for Tower of Mud and Straw have been and will be positive. I received an eARC from the author, and I strongly recommend it. This book will be released through an independent publisher, so it won’t receive the same marketing as books from larger publishers, but I’m a bookblogger who is recommending that you read it. And, it seems that other early readers have enjoyed it as well. This story is a great addition to the fantasy canon, and its lasting appeal will be due to its cult following. This story can and will be re-read because of the story’s structure and format. Each part of the story and the protagonist’s backstory are essential to the story—you can’t skip over anything! And, while one of the final scenes in the story seems “overdone,” it works with the question readers will have by the time they read the last sentence.

            Tower of Mud and Straw is a story full of themes and tropes presented in a way that makes for an incredible story. Yaroslav Barsukov is an author who seems to have more stories ready to give to readers than he is letting on. Until we get those stories, we’ll have to settle for this one about politics, unknown technology, folklore and vertigo. Anyone who is looking for an intriguing story written by an indie author should read this one.

My Rating: Enjoy It (4.5 out of 5). 

TBRcon21: Another Success for Virtual Cons






















#8: Star Eater by Kerstin Hall –> June 22nd


























Additional Books to Lookout For: 





Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell –> February 2nd



The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett –> August 3rd




My Experience at FIYAH Con & What It Represents for Speculative Fiction






            What did you think of FIYAH Con 2020?   










Adult Fantasy: Is There Such a Thing?














—J.R.R. Tolkien, On Fairy Stories, Epilogue

What We Can All Learn From Virtual Cons and Events

The obvious difference between this pandemic and those of the past is how humanity has been spending their time throughout the outbreak. Yes, many public places and events are closed, cancelled and/or postponed; and, there have been several cases and deaths due to COVID-19 throughout the world. Yet, it seems a lot of people have forgotten that our modern technology has been a huge help in maintaining work, shopping and entertainment. Now, while the process to maintain safety and livelihoods haven’t been easy, it seems that few people are willing to use this time as an opportunity to pursue new activities and a chance to return to old ones.

            Please understand that I’m not bashing or criticizing people who lost their jobs, had their jobs suspended and/or moved online, parents, teachers/academics/scholars/educators, farmers, contractors, etc. I speak of people who hassle healthcare workers about when they’ll reopen their practices and scold essential workers when told they cannot enter the store or the supermarket without a face mask while trying to cut the line. These people ignore the guidelines for safety and go to locations that are closed because they are bored. Whatever happened to getting a new hobby or going back to a former pastime? Stories of people learning how to sew, how to cook, and stories of people learning how to draw using an app or creating “how to” content online have been circulating on the international news. Yes, many people have realized that creating content for YouTube, podcasts and blogs isn’t as easy as it looks, but that doesn’t mean you cannot offer your support by checking out the content. 

            While many Cons and events have been moved to online as virtual events, there have been a few creators who have made the decision to upping their game and putting together events as a means of entertainment and sharing new content with other creators and fans. QuaranCon 2020 was a virtual con put together by Virginia McClain and a few other fantasy authors (many of them from S.P.F.B.O.), and presented live panels over the course of 2 weeks. MayDayCon 2020 was a virtual con which was organized and moderated by 1 person—FanFiAddict! There were 7 panels and 7 live readings with over 30 authors all within 14 hours! And yes, I watched that entire con as it was going on live! Next, GeekCon1 will be taking place in July. This virtual con is aimed at all content creators with more information coming as we get closer to the date. GeekChat1 and his friends—other content creators—will be putting the event together.  

            As for “professional” cons that will be virtual, there will be plenty of those as well. Both BookExpo and BookCon will be streaming live on Facebook. Orbit Books has been hosting and announcing several live chats with their authors every week! Several authors have been chatting on their Instagram accounts as well, which is a great opportunity to interact with some of your favorite authors and other famous people. And, several literary award organizations have turned to YouTube to announce both the nominees and the winners of their awards such as the BSFA and the Hugos. Yes, not everyone will be able to stream these events live (I still have my job to attend to in person), but the best thing about streaming live events is that you can watch the playbacks when they become available. 

            This post is not meant to put anyone down. Instead, I wanted to remind everyone that people are working behind the scenes in order to present new content and events to everyone who is living in lockdown, which is everyone! Think about it, wouldn’t it be better for you in the future if you mentioned what you did during the pandemic isn’t of what you weren’t able to do? Yes, the pandemic sucks, but it’s a shared experience and you have the opportunity to find a way to stand out and do something you always wanted to do. What do you have to lose? 

The Popularity and the Revolution of Fantasy Thanks to S.P.F.B.O.

S.P.F.B.O. 5 is over, and this year’s winner—The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang—received one of the highest scores in the competition’s short history, 8.65. While this year’s competition was fierce and resulted in a close 2nd place, the hype and the feedback circulated to where bookbloggers with a larger platform started discussing the competition and published authors shared their thoughts on the books—the finalists—on social media. This competition has amassed such a huge following in such a short time and a few of the finalists did get picked up by big name publishers to become the published authors they already were. Mark Lawrence is the perfect example of “paying it forward” and “sharing the wealth.” In 5 short years, this international best-selling author has used his platform to kickoff careers of these emerging authors.  

I heard of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off while searching for fantasy books on Amazon. If you recall my essay—“Factions in Technology that Made a Difference: e-Readers and Self-Publishing Companies”—then, you’ll remember that I mentioned a few authors who are indie authors and/or publish through “smaller” publishers, thus embellishing the sort of books I’ve been reading ever since. As I browsed through ebooks to purchase, a few covers caught my attention, and they all had the same acronym: S.P.F.B.O. When I finally Googled the letters, I learned of the competition organized by Mark Lawrence. And, my first question was: Who is Mark Lawrence? Yes, I learned about S.P.F.B.O. before I read and reviewed any books written by Mark Lawrence. When I started contributing to Fantasy-Faction, I realized that this competition was growing into an event indie authors, bookbloggers and fantasy fans look forward to, and it’s been going on for 5 years! 

I experienced S.P.F.B.O. 5 from the entries to the semi-finalists to the finalists, and of course, the winner. While I haven’t read all 300 books that were entered, I did read a few before the competition—because their descriptions intrigued me, and some titles and book covers caught my attention as well. And, I purchased the books of all 10 finalists! So far, I’ve read only The Sword of Kaigen, but I started reading both Blood of Heirs by Alicia Wanstall-Burke and Never Die by Rob J. Hayes, and I am blown away by what would have been overlooked stories if not for the competition. It’s because of bookbloggers and fantasy review sites that more indie authors are willing to enter S.P.F.B.O.! At this rate, Mark Lawrence might have to expand the entry pool (please don’t take that suggestion too seriously)! 

So, will S.P.F.B.O. continue to influence the market and the industry that is the fantasy—and the speculative fiction—genre? Yes, I believe so, especially if it hasn’t already. I’ve noticed on social media that these “indie” books are being read and enjoyed by “mainstream” and award-winning authors as well (i.e. C.L. Polk reading Fortune’s Fool by Angela Boord). And, this is more than authors supporting other authors, it’s about how indie authors and small publishers continue to strive to get their stories out there with the threat of them being overlooked…until the right attention is given to them through their published books (i.e. J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter). S.P.F.B.O. is both introducing and promoting the works and the creativity of these authors to a platform that is willing to keep an open mind. And, because of this competition set up by Mark Lawrence, readers get to experience and to witness this transcension, which is expanding the speculative fiction genre, too.

I’ll end my experience with S.P.F.B.O. 5 by saying the following: Congratulations to M.L. Wang; read The Sword of Kaigen and the books by the other finalists; good job to all of the reviewers, the bookbloggers, and the vloggers for all of the time and the effort you put into this from reading the 300 submissions to the 10 finalists to the winner; and, a huge THANK YOU to Mark Lawrence for starting this competition and turning it into an annual event. The number of books that have been added to my TBR pile has increased yet again, and I’m okay with that. I can’t wait to see what happens during S.P.F.B.O. 6!

Why You Need to Read: “The Sword of Kaigen”

The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story

By: M.L. Wang

Published: February 19, 2019

Genre: Fantasy/Asian Literature/Standalone/Self-Published








