Beyond Redemption - by Michael R Fletcher (Paperback)

About the Book

A darkly imaginative writer in the tradition of Joe Abercrombie, Peter V. Brett, and Neil Gaiman conjures a gritty mind-bending fantasy, set in a world where delusion becomes reality . . . and the fulfillment of humanity s desires may well prove to be its undoing.

When belief defines reality, those with the strongest convictions the crazy, the obsessive, the delusional have the power to shape the world.

And someone is just mad enough to believe he can create a god . . .

Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geistrekranken men and women whose delusions manifest. Sustained by their own belief and the beliefs of those around them they can manipulate their surroundings. For the High Priest Konig, that means creating order out of the chaos in his city-state, leading his believers to focus on one thing: helping a young man, Morgen, ascend to become a god. A god they can control.

Trouble is, there are many who would see a god in their thrall, including the High Priest s own doppelgangers, a Slaver no one can resist, and three slaves led by possibly the only sane man left.

As these forces converge on the boy, there s one more obstacle: time is running out. Because as the delusions become more powerful, the also become harder to control. The fate of the Geistrekranken is to inevitably find oneself in the Afterdeath. The question, then, is:

Who will rule there?"

Book Synopsis

A darkly imaginative writer in the tradition of Joe Abercrombie, Peter V. Brett, and Neil Gaiman conjures a gritty mind-bending fantasy, set in a world where delusion becomes reality . . . and the fulfillment of humanity's desires may well prove to be its undoing.

When belief defines reality, those with the strongest convictions--the crazy, the obsessive, the delusional--have the power to shape the world.

And someone is just mad enough to believe he can create a god . . .

Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geisteskranken--men and women whose delusions manifest. Sustained by their own belief--and the beliefs of those around them--they can manipulate their surroundings. For the High Priest Konig, that means creating order out of the chaos in his city-state, leading his believers to focus on one thing: helping a young man, Morgen, ascend to become a god. A god they can control.

Trouble is, there are many who would see a god in their thrall, including the High Priest's own doppelgangers, a Slaver no one can resist, and three slaves led by possibly the only sane man left.

As these forces converge on the boy, there's one more obstacle: time is running out. Because as the delusions become more powerful, the also become harder to control. The fate of the Geisteskranken is to inevitably find oneself in the Afterdeath. The question, then, is:

Who will rule there?

From the Back Cover

Faith shapes the landscape, defines the laws of physics, and makes a mockery of truth. Common knowledge isn't an axiom, it's a force of nature; what the masses believe is an axiom. But insanity is a weapon, conviction a shield. Delusions give birth to foul new gods.

Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geisteskranken--men and women whose delusions manifest, twisting reality. High Priest Konig seeks to create order from chaos. He defines the beliefs of his followers, leading their faith to one end: a young boy, Morgen, who must Ascend to become a god--a god they can control.

But there are many who would see this would-be-god in their thrall, including the High Priest's own Doppels, and a Slaver no one can resist. Three reprobates--the Greatest Swordsman in the World, a murderous Kleptic, and possibly the only sane man left--have their own nefarious plans for the young god.

As these forces converge on the boy, there's one more obstacle: time is running out. When one's delusions become more powerful, they become harder to control. The fate of the Geisteskranken is to inevitably find oneself in the Afterdeath. The question then is: Who will rule there?

Review Quotes

"Set in a world where madness equates to power, Michael R. Fletcher's Beyond Redemption is often as nightmarish as it is fascinating. An alarming, original and compulsive tale laced with a blackly comic sensibility. Highly recommended." -- Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Song, on BEYOND REDEMPTION

"Fletcher populated the landscape with an array of mental disorders, turning a well-thumbed psychiatric manual into a dramatis personae...The dystopia and its victims never quite collapse under the weight of the horror, and their perseverance encourages the readers to endure the grimness until the thought-provoking conclusion." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) on BEYOND REDEMPTION

"The journey is dark and emotionally taxing, but there aren't many fantasy novels as smart, ambitious, and excellently written as this one." -- Booklist on BEYOND REDEMPTION

"This novel's title is most appropriate, since so many of the characters have no redeeming qualities - in the best possible way. There's a sick pleasure in watching these awful people go to such extreme lengths to serve their own interests." -- RT Magazine on BEYOND REDEMPTION

"Michael R. Fletcher has put himself on the map as a grimdark author to watch and read for many years to come. 4 Grimdark Lords out of 5." -- Grimdark Magazine

"If someone decided to make a crossover between Inception and Robin Hood set in the Broken Empire, it might look a little bit like Beyond Redemption [...] Michael R. Fletcher's delusions are dark, bloody and shocking. If you haven't met them already, I'd highly recommend you make their acquaintance." -- Fantasy Faction (9 out of 10 stars)

"Beyond Redemption might be the grimdarkiest grimdark novel to ever grimdark." -- SFFWorld