Cry of Justice

by Jason Pratt

HOPE AND LOVE - PRIDE AND HONOR. Monsters wander the world of Mikon. Caught in the aftermath of a vicious international war, thousands of refugees have fled the Coastal States, bringing their dangers... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0977888401
• ISBN13: 9780977888405
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Bittersea Publications
• Length: 444 Pages
• Weight: 1.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A rip-roaring good fantasy

Giant Shoulderbeasts who stomp everything in their path, colossal Aasvogels flying through the air as they rip apart anything they meet, and Rogues, destroying every man standing in their way. These and many other intriguing creatures fill the pages of Jason Pratt's "Cry of Justice," an exciting new entry in the world of fantasy. Lest you fear this is just another book with lots of monsters and no plot, don't worry. The vast assortment of creatures are simply a backdrop for a great story with richly developed characters. "Cry of Justice" takes us to the world of Mikon. Life is in turmoil as the Culling Wars have devastated the entire planet, whole cultures have been wiped out, and people struggle to survive. Warriors, led by powerful Magi, are trying to bring some sanity back to Mikon, under their power of course. Portunista, a strong-willed woman who leads an entire brigade, is one of the Magi. She is joined by Seifas, a powerful fighter who is a remnant of an annihilated warrior tribe, Gaekwar, an obedient subcommander, and Jian, a stranger who joins their fight. As the story opens, Portunista's brigade is attempting to bring peace to their region. After fending off an attack (which is where we first meet Shoulderbeasts), Portunista learns of a nearby Cadrist's Tower, one that Seifas assures her is abandoned. Leaving her brigade behind, Portunista brings her small, trusted - or somewhat trusted - group with her to investigate. This is where the fun truly begins as there are wonderous secrets hidden within the walls of the tower including a portal that instantly transports those entering to the middlelands, high in the trees where Aasvogels are waiting with enormous talons to rip apart their next meal. The frantic escape was a well-written page-turner. As the exploration of the tower continues,three brigades arrive and begin to prepare for battle. What will Portunista do to protect the tower? How will she ever fight three brigades with her rag-tag team of wanderers? What I particularly enjoyed about "Cry of Justice" were the well-developed characters and their interactions. Portunista is at first distrustful of Jian, the stranger who showed up at camp one day. She wants to get rid of him, but decides to keep him around and soon he has earned her trust. Or has he? And why is he so darn happy all the time? What is his secret? Seifas is a loyal underling, a juacuara (the result of the Magi attempting to breed the perfect warrior), and the last of his tribe of the Guacu-ara, the others wiped out during the Culling. Once he meets a brother juacuara, however, his loyalty is tested. Will he stand beside Portunista or join the remnants of the juacuara and fight her? These questions and many others will keep you turning the pages of this first book in a planned trilogy. "Cry of Justice" gets off to a slow start as the author works to set up the story. Additionally, the reader is bombarded with lots of names of characters, tribes of people, crea

A challenging, creative novel

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/08) "I will tell you a story, beloved; a story of a cradle. Once, there was a world, bobbing and spinning within the center of her space, infused with life, alit by lights both great and small, upon her and above her. From the beginning, she had borne her children -not to stay, but to leave. But, the children did not always play well. And, they did not always leave well." So begins the Introduction of "Cry of Justice," Jason Pratt's first book in an intended trilogy. When I first started reading this first book I admit I was a little confused as to what was going on. I read and reread the first chapters in an attempt to decipher who was who and to discern exactly what was happening. Inside the dust jacket there is list of characters but it really isn't very specific. For instance, for the character of Portunista it says: innovative, ambitious, intemperate; a maga seeking her path to Imperial Glory." A more in depth character and location guide somewhere in the book would have been extremely beneficial in aiding my comprehension. The main premise of the book from inside the front cover is this: "Caught in the aftermath of a vicious international war, thousands of refugees have fled the Coastal States, bringing their dangers with them into the wilderness near the Middlelands." The story is then told through a series of various journal entries written by more than one character, which once you are able to sort everything out, is actually quite interesting. The cast of characters in itself is quite original. One of my favorite players in the story is the aforementioned Portunista. She is the leader of a very creative cast and I loved watching to see how she handled and dealt with all of the different personalities and challenges faced along the way. Pratt's writing style is definitely unique and at times it can be intellectually challenging to interpret his intentions. However, I am always up for a challenge and once I became familiar with this unusual, mentally stimulating work, I really started to enjoy it. There were many creative elements in the book that sets this fantasy novel apart from the pack and I think those interested in epic fantasies will enjoy "Cry of Justice."

A riveting novel with great characters

Brigandry is not a desirable first choice for a career. "Cry of Justice" is the tale of several unique individuals bound together by their desire to survive in a world that's out to kill them. They and thousands of other war refugees strive to make life better for themselves, but they are forced to live on the outskirts of the law to do so. "Cry of Justice" is a riveting novel with great characters, caught amid a crisis of corrupt nations.

The strong survive, the weak perish

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (12/07) Welcome to the world of Mikon. "Cry of Justice" is the first book in a forthcoming trilogy. The tale takes place after the Culling War had begun. There was fighting among the Cadrists. Magical people of different paths, such as the healing Klerosa have been disappearing. The disappearances tend to be magical in origin. Portunista is a maga and a commander of soldiers. She leads a very interesting group of men. She has to use a great deal of personal strength to maintain control of this group. Throughout this journey, she goes through a great deal of emotional growth. She finds herself drawn to the mysterious, affable Jian, who seems unable to die. Then there is Seifa, who is the last born of the Guacu-ara people. Guacu-ara means "Hunting Cry." Not only have his people been destroyed, but he also discovers that he was the last born. He is excited to discover another man of his kind during his journey in this story. This is where he starts learning some truths. "Cry of Justice" is a fun, fantastical adventure. In the beginning, I had some difficulties getting into the story. It started out mentioning people and places, without really explaining who they are. I almost felt like I was reading a second book in a trilogy and was trying to catch up with the story. A glossary and a map would really have helped with this. There were also some grammatical errors that could be corrected Once I got into the story, I was hooked. I loved the magical elements that were incorporated into the story. The people themselves had interesting talents. There were also magical birds and beasts. Pratt does a great job of coming up with some different magical elements that make his fantasy different from others. This is a refreshing change of pace. He also gets into the characters souls and lets you know what drives them. "Cry of Justice" is a great book for fantasy fans.