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Overview
The last bastions of freedom, the Kingdom of Albany and the Norse Alliance, stand at bay. They are threatened by the Empire of the Mosul, whose unstoppable forces, driven by the brutal theocracy of the Zhaithan and drawn by the promise of paradise, have already conquered most of Europe and now set their sights on the New World.
There is one slim chance of salvation. Four youngsters must find each other, and themselves, to form an entity that can challenge the Dark Things, warrior demons raised by the necromancy of the Zhaithan. But the Four are widely scattered. Argo Weaver, fleeing his East Virginia home to escape a brutal stepfather, is concerned only with his own survival. Lady Cordelia Blakeney, aristocratic and decorative adjunct to the Army of Albany, cares more for the fit of her uniform than the state of the world. Jesamine is the slave-concubine of a brutal Teuton colonel. Raphael Vega, Hispanian conscript in the army of the Mosul, must hide his artistic talents from the heresy-seeking priests.
And even with the help of the mysterious Yancey Slide, who may not be entirely human, the obstacles they face may well be insurmountable.
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Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewAlternate history fans who are bored with the same old, run-of-the-mill plotlines (Nazis rule the world, the South wins the Civil War, etc.) should check out this novel by iconic British author and musician Mick Farren, author of the '70s cult classic DNA Cowboys trilogy. Kindling is a wild and raunchy thrill ride that pits four young adults from very different backgrounds against a tyrannical empire.
On an Earth where Christianity and Islam never caught on, America is essentially a group of Wiccan confederacies and European-based kingdoms located up and down the East Coast. The rest is unexplored wilderness inhabited by native tribes and roving bands of outlaws. Worldwide peace is put in serious jeopardy, however, when the oppressive Mosul Empire, in an alliance with the bloodthirsty Mamalukes and Teutons, expands its evil reach throughout Europe and Africa -- and then targets the Americas as its next conquest. The last strongholds of freedom, the Kingdom of Albany and the Norse Union, must somehow stop the seemingly endless Mosul hordes from overwhelming America. Their last hope lies in the hands of four young people -- a runaway, an aristocrat, a soldier, and a sex slave -- and their enigmatic mentor, an alleged demon named Yancey Slide.
Part military science fiction, part dark fantasy, this highly original and engaging novel is definitely not a typical alternate history. Like Thomas Harlan's Sixth Sun saga (Wasteland of Flint, House of Reeds, et al.), this novel -- which is the first volume in Farren's Flame of Evil saga -- will go a long way in redefining the subgenre. Paul Goat Allen
Publishers Weekly
Derring-do, varied beddings and lurid executions abound in Mick Farren's campy alternative military history, Kindling, in which the vast evil Mosul Empire attacks the pathetically outnumbered Kingdom of Albany (New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut). The wrenching, sudden splits in perspective will appeal to all-age adolescent appetites whetted by R-rated computer effects. Agent, Susan Cohen at Riverside Literary Agency. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Library Journal
Allied with the Teutons and the Mameluke warlords, the mighty Mosul Empire, with its devotion to the twin gods Ignir and Aksura, launches a massive attack on the rest of the world. Standing against them is a group that calls itself the Four: Argo Weaver, a scrapper from the East Virginia backwoods; Cordelia Blakeney, an aristocrat with special talents; Raphael Vega, a former conscript and a champion of the underdog; and Jessamine, a concubine of a Teuton war leader. Farren (The Armageddon Crazy) launches a new series set in a vastly altered Earth filled with warring tribes and latent magic. Fascinating characters and vivid descriptions make this a good addition to alternate history and fantasy collections. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Kirkus Reviews
First of a fantasy series set in an alternate world where nomadic Asian hordes invade America. Farren (Underland, 2002, etc.) builds his story around four young people. East Virginia teenager Argo Weaver runs away from his hometown to escape a brutal stepfather and the oppressive Mosul occupying force. Spoiled aristocrat Cordelia Blakeney comes from the kingdom of Albany, which holds Eastern America above the Potomac. Raphael Vega, a Spanish conscript to the Mosul army, is being shipped to America to serve as cannon fodder in the impending invasion of Albany. Jessamine serves as a sex slave of a Teuton colonel allied to the Mosul hordes. These four, we learn early on, are destined to become The Four: a magical, superhuman force able to oppose the Mosul armies and their supernatural allies. They are aided by Yancey Slide, reputed to be a demon, who takes Argo to a band of Albany Rangers, guerrillas fighting against the Mosul. Cordelia, joining one of her lovers for a dirigible ride, crash-lands a short distance from the main Mosul camp near the Potomac. Captured, she quickly meets Jessamine, whose colonel has gone off to inspect the engines of the crashed airship. Meanwhile, Raphael's unit is being trucked in from the south to join the massing invasion forces. Farren alternates scenes of action, sex, and brutality as the four follow separate trails to their inevitable union; finally together, they unite to repel the Mosul invasion, defeating a series of supernatural attackers while the guns of Albany repel the physical invasion. Farren loads the book with alternate history in-jokes, including a cast that features a female Col. Patton and other iconic figures from recent history. An abruptending makes it clear there will be sequels. Fast-moving, if sometimes incoherent.Amazing Stories
"Farren alternates scenes of action, sex, and brutality … fast-moving.From the Publisher
Praise for Kindling:"This lusty, antiauthoritarian story moshes its way out of the history books." —Amazing Stories
"Fascinating characters and vivid descriptions make this a good addition to alternate history and fantasy collections." —Library Journal"Farren alternates scenes of action, sex, and brutality … fast-moving." — Kirkus
"Promising beginning of an alternate history saga." — Booklist