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An Ocean of Others (Dance of the Sibling Suns Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.2 out of 5 stars 50 ratings

REMEMBER WHAT'S REAL OR YOUR HEAD WILL BE THEIRS

Survival is never easy, but it’s never been harder for Grim, the last bounty hunter in Liwokin. He survived the Great Riot that killed Liwo by the thousands, endured the bloody chaos that ruled the city in its aftermath, and avoided the crushing fist of the Agency created to quell the unrest. Rule of law returned, but following the rules doesn’t put food in your belly.

On a job gone wrong, Grim stumbles into a conspiracy that targets Ulken, the Head of the Agency, a man who has done more to ruin Grim’s life than any other. Struggling to earn honest coin, Grim plans to use this information to rise quickly through the ranks of the organization so an empty purse never worries him again. He becomes a Finger of the Agency, joining a sardonic ranger, two fugitive siblings, a stone-skinned Skardwarf, and a powerful dark mage—none of whom know any better than Grim what they’ve gotten themselves into.

Grim’s Hand soon discovers the Agency’s furtive work is far deadlier than hunting bounties. While fighting to save his home from monsters who once were men, Grim discovers the conspiracy runs deeper than just Ulken and the Agency—what was unleashed is spreading, and if Grim’s sanity doesn’t prevail, it will consume the minds of the Bright Empire and beyond.

Action-packed, bloody, and full of brain-bending intrigue, in An Ocean of Others the line between monster and man is thin enough to drive you out of your mind.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B354RSXW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Archefire Publishing LLC
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 6, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8985616200
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ Dance of the Sibling Suns
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 50 ratings

About the author

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Joshua Scott Edwards
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Joshua Scott Edwards lives in Lansdale, PA with his wife, Rachel. He received an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rowan University, only afterward discovering that his true passion is for storytelling. Sadly, the topic was not covered in the engineering curriculum. By day, Joshua writes software to pay the bills. By night, he writes fantasy and science fiction stories, dreaming of a future in which he can do that by day as well.

Click the big yellow "Follow" button to follow Joshua on Amazon and sign up at www.joshse.com to get a monthly newsletter, discounts for books and merch, and free stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
50 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this dark fantasy book with horror and mystery elements, with one review highlighting its great mix of Grimdark horror survival fantasy peppered with humor. They find it a fun ride with great personalities among the main characters, and one customer notes it's well written.

6 customers mention "Story quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's dark fantasy elements with horror and mystery, and one customer describes it as a great mix of Grimdark horror survival fantasy peppered with humor.

"...was absolutely the correct choice for this book, the psychological aspects to the horror and the toll that takes on Grim is explored brilliantly..." Read more

"...The story was small scale, involving mostly one city and the area around it, which made for a condensed and succinct story that was easy to digest..." Read more

"...And that action packed ending? Hooboy! Well you’ll just have to read it for yourself. All in all a good read and one I’d recommend to fantasy lovers." Read more

"...book but it was so well written, the characters amusing, and the storyline exciting! I especially enjoyed the audible version of the book...." Read more

4 customers mention "Enjoyment"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one mentioning it has enough wit to keep them entertained throughout.

"...That being said I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun adventure and creepy at times, with just the right amount of horror to make me feel..." Read more

"...made for a condensed and succinct story that was easy to digest and enjoy!..." Read more

"...Grim was a likable character with enough wit to keep me entertained throughout. I loved being inside his head as things got more and more twisted...." Read more

"A great, fun ride!..." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book.

"...told in first person, which can be hit or miss but I think the author did a great job...." Read more

"...The terminology of the book was fun and well thought out, with each of the five members of each team being called Fingers, and the teams themselves..." Read more

"...Hooboy! Well you’ll just have to read it for yourself. All in all a good read and one I’d recommend to fantasy lovers." Read more

"...I usually don’t read this genre of book but it was so well written, the characters amusing, and the storyline exciting!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, particularly noting the great personalities of the main characters, with one customer mentioning how the narrator brought them to life.

"...The personalities of the main characters are great and their interactions with each other at times reminded me of siblings fighting with one another..." Read more

"...Grim was a likable character with enough wit to keep me entertained throughout. I loved being inside his head as things got more and more twisted...." Read more

"...The narrator brought the characters to life and had a knack for drawing the reader in. Highly recommend! Can’t wait for the sequel!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I went into this book without knowing much about it and I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. I was expecting a more typical dark fantasy novel but instead I got dark fantasy with horror and mystery elements. If those appeal to you than I definitely recommend giving this book a read.

    Grim is a bounty hunter turned accidental monster slayer. He doesn't really know what he's getting himself into when he becomes a member of the Agency. The Agency has taken over much of the work he used to do as a bounty hunter and he can no longer earn enough to live. When he finds evidence of a conspiracy against the head of the Agency, he decides to join it as a way to bring this evidence to the leader and earn favor. However, he is soon thrown into a hidden world and a conspiracy far larger than he imagined. He is assigned to a team of five and sent out on various dangerous missions.

    It was on the first of these missions that the horror elements of this book first come into play. I was not expecting this at all and it took me by surprise but it was very well done. It is mostly psychological horror, since the monsters they are hunting influence the perception of people around them. Grim and his companions don't even know what they are heading into the first time and have to work it out themselves, which the author writes in an unsettling way that kept me glued to the page.

    The pacing of this novel was excellent. It is a fast paced novel and we are thrown into the action from the beginning. Between fights the banter between the characters helps keep things interesting and fun. The novel is also told in first person, which can be hit or miss but I think the author did a great job. First person was absolutely the correct choice for this book, the psychological aspects to the horror and the toll that takes on Grim is explored brilliantly through the first person narration. Our characters are often confused and unsure if what they are seeing is real, and getting that viewpoint from Grim instead of a third person narrator makes the unease all the more potent.

    One criticism I did have was about the side characters. While I did like them quite a bit and the group dynamic, they often feel very one note, more like an archetype than a character. They each have a personality trait that defines them and we get that trait displayed over and over. There are occasional changes but they can feel abrupt and not entirely genuine to me because I didn't feel the change was earned.

    My other minor criticism is concerning the Riot. There was a riot that recently took over the city and killed a tremendous amount of people. It is built up a lot in the beginning of the novel as a driving motivator for Grim, he is searching for the cause of the Riot while everyone else seems complacent about it, which only angers him more. After the beginning of the novel though, mention of the Riot mostly seems to fade away. I kept waiting for the mystery of the story to connect to the Riot and it never did. Since this is the first book of the series I would be fine if I felt like the Riot was a larger mystery that would be addressed over several books but it just seemed to fade away and I never got the sense that it would be addressed later, though it very well might be.

    That being said I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun adventure and creepy at times, with just the right amount of horror to make me feel uneasy without going over the top. The world building is also handled very well, hinting at a larger world outside of the main city that is the focus of the novel. The magic is intriguing, there seems to be both a light and dark side to the magic. The religious belief of the empire is that light magic is good and dark evil but one member of the group is a mage who shows that this is not true, they are complements to each other and a mage is more powerful when using both. I am very intrigued by this magic and I look forward to learning more about it as the series progresses.

    I highly recommend this book for fantasy readers looking for a book that doesn't conform to standard genre definitions. If you want something unique and outside the box, definitely give this one a try, I am very glad that I did.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The plot of this book was wonderfully woven, giving information bit by bit in the way of a mystery novel, while never slowing down the pace of the action.

    The story was small scale, involving mostly one city and the area around it, which made for a condensed and succinct story that was easy to digest and enjoy!

    It started out dark, then shifted to sort of adventure/dnd vibes with a group of diverse fighters on a team: a mage, a paladin, a dwarf, a fighter, and a hunter/tracker. Then it shifted back to the dark vibes slowly for a wonderful crescendo at the arc.

    The terminology of the book was fun and well thought out, with each of the five members of each team being called Fingers, and the teams themselves being called Hands, and every other part of the Agency having a similarly appropriate body name. It wasn’t spelled out, so it took a while to notice and appreciate the structure of the Agency, which seemed like a disorganized mess when first introduced. As the story went on it became apparent how intentional everything was.

    The book had an exceptionally satisfying end, and all around it was cool to have everything tied together so neatly.

    Other things to note: there was no romance, there was graphic violence, some horror vibes
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I think like a lot of readers I was drawn to this book by its cover. Thankfully there's more to this debut novel than just a sweet cover.

    An Ocean of Others is a fantasy story set in a first person POV set in the dark fantasy world of Lawiko told from the perspective of Grim, a rogue bounty hunter down on his luck in this harsh city still recovering from riot sparking revolution. An organization called “The Agency” has taken over the types of jobs he used to handle leaving him broke, hungry and frustrated.

    As fate would have it Grim learns of some intel on his last job he believes he can use to his advantage to raise his status in society along with his bank account. So he joins The Agency to bring his plan to action and that's when the real fun begins.

    After joining up Grim is assigned to a team made up of a ranger, a mage, a skardwarf and an ex-paladin and his sister. They are then tasked to go out and hunt and kill a monster referred to as a benefactor but just like there are two sides to a coin in this story there's two sides to every encounter and the trick to survival is to remember “what is real”. I can’t reveal too much more without risking giving away core aspects of the plot.

    The personalities of the main characters are great and their interactions with each other at times reminded me of siblings fighting with one another, which can be a lot of fun. Although one criticism I have with them is I wish there was a little more focus on developing them and giving us a little more backstory to each of them. I feel like this was glossed over slightly compared to some other aspects/characters in the story so I never got fully invested into them as I had hoped I would.

    The world building however was fantastic, I felt as if I was walking right beside them in the dirty, musty alleys of Lawiko as they made their way through the city and out into other parts of the world on each mission they accepted.

    Lastly we have the story arc for the benefactors and this not only rivals that of the world building but honestly it's where Edwards writing shines the most. If anything my emotional attachment in the story was linked to them for better or worse.

    Unlike some of the other reviews I’ve seen I did feel like this was a bit of a slow burn in the fact that there is a bit of a rinse and repeat element to the story line. The pay off in the end is worth it but it does take a little while to get there. I guess the best way I can describe it is if you have ever played an MMO you know what the grind is like to level up. I feel like the characters go through that kind of grind here as part of the story arc so if that is not your thing it could turn you off. I promise you though the pay off is there if you push through.

    As Edwards debut novel I think he hit the ground running and I look forward to seeing what he releases in the future.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    While fantasy isn’t my usual genre, An Ocean of Others sucked me right in. I enjoyed the rich world the author created and the vivid descriptions of the monsters within in. Grim was a likable character with enough wit to keep me entertained throughout. I loved being inside his head as things got more and more twisted. And that action packed ending? Hooboy! Well you’ll just have to read it for yourself. All in all a good read and one I’d recommend to fantasy lovers.

Top reviews from other countries

  • BücherFreak
    5.0 out of 5 stars fast-pace, captivating debut!
    Reviewed in Germany on December 30, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    what a fantastic, fast-paced, intriguing and captivating debut! i could not stop reading.
    Loved the questing-aspect and how we got the informations with the MC along the way.
    Really likeable characters and the world-building was very good. there are hints on a greater world which I would love the author explore in the upcoming books.
    Overall I very much enjoyed this book!
  • One Who Reads
    5.0 out of 5 stars "Dying, too, was easier with a friend."
    Reviewed in Australia on April 2, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This was a book I'd seen around, but hesitated over because the title didn't call to me. That title, however, makes complete sense as the book progresses. And having taken a gamble on a new author, I bought it. And loved it a LOT.

    Rich in lore, great world-building, easily imagined action, and polished writing, this is also superbly plotted. The climax is both surprising, and inevitable. The battle and action scenes are immersive (as are the 'memory' scenes). A world and plot that's different enough to be exciting and fresh, while containing some genre tropes that we immediately latch on to who/what characters are. Those characters are wonderfully distinct and credibly motivated, by the way.

    And then I discover this is a debut novel. Even more impressed.

    About 1/4 of the way into it, I went back and added the audio version. This audio was narrated by a superb voice actor. Some books are clunky when read out loud. This one was written to be performed. The actor did it justice. Incredible characterisations. If you can add the audio option to the ebook, I highly recommend.

    Great book.
  • Lindy Enns
    4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting story with some really cool world building!
    Reviewed in Canada on May 5, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

    I've been interested in An Oceans of Others since I first saw it. The cover is cool, the premise and marketing sounded really interesting, and I’ve been hearing good things about it on Twitter. I also love dnd, so I was curious how a book based off of a campaign would read!

    Before I launch into it, I like to preface my reviews by noting I am a very picky reader. I have very particular preferences, and am often bothered by things that other readers don’t notice or care about, so take my critiques with a grain of salt!

    That being said, let’s jump into it. First things first, there is some really cool world building in this book! Not everything lands but the things that do land are fantastic. The description of how different auras work is really cool, and I enjoyed the story’s use of terminology. The whole comparison of the Agency to parts of the body worked really well (heels being lower grunts who do all the busy work, a hand consisting of five fingers, etc.) and other concepts/terms like archefire and the lightmother and darkfather etc. were well integrated. It gave the world more of a lived in feeling, which I always appreciate!

    The story is interesting, if a touch disjointed. There was definitely an episodic nature to the events in the story, and while some sections did a great job of setting the stakes and developing the world/plot, others didn’t seem to add much to the story. But overall, there is a lot to hold the reader’s attention!

    It’s also worth noting that the book’s opening paragraph is excellent. The intrigue and mystery of the riot is so compelling, and it immediately captured my interest. Although I really wish we had leaned more into that mystery and had the riot as a more central part of the storyline. It was the element I was most interested in, but it didn’t play much of a role in the story, and in the end, the explanation was treated almost as an afterthought. You could actually remove the riot from the book entirely and just give Grim a different motivation to join the agency, and with a few tweaks, it wouldn't change the story at all.

    Aside from that, I think my main issue with this book was concerning its general execution. While the world-building and most of the individual events were interesting, it felt like there was a lack of logical consistency in how events unfolded and world-building pieces fit together, with many of the elements coming across as a bit inconsistent or illogical. There were a number of times I didn’t quite follow the cause and effect in the story, or didn’t buy the way characters acted/reacted in various circumstances. This might just be my own sensibilities, but it often seemed that other outcomes would be more natural, or other courses of action more sensible than the ones taken.

    Some of this might have been a result of information not being clearly communicated, as I often felt like I was either misunderstanding what was being said or missing something. In particular, there are some scenes where the POV switches perspectives, and while the reason for this is very cool, I did have trouble tracking whose head I was in. (That one is more of a me problem than a book problem though!) It's also possible that some of the issues I had were a result of adapting a dnd campaign, which uses a very different narrative logic and style than a novel. Things like the characters spending hours looking for where they need to go in the agency could easily be the result of a failed perception/investigation check in a dnd game, but in a book it felt out of place, especially since the head of the agency was waiting to speak with them, and it seemed a bit bizarre that an agency touted for being highly efficient would be so poorly organized.

    As for the characters, they fell a bit flat for me. Most of them don’t development as much as I would like and can be boiled down to one or two character traits. They are totally fine on a surface level and most have a good moment or two in the book, I just didn’t feel that invested in them. There also seemed to be a lack of complex/interesting dynamics within the group, which was a shame. Like there was some chemistry between them as the book progresses, but there aren’t many deeper interactions or dynamics between characters.

    Surprisingly, I found Sentyx to be the most interesting character of the bunch. It would have been easy for him to come across as one-dimensional, so I was really pleased the story gave him some nuance and depth. In particular, I like that there are some solid interactions between him and Grim, and that we get to see how Grim’s opinion of Skardwarves evolves as his understanding of Sentyx grows.

    Overall, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with the story, it just lacked the kind of cohesion and depth that could have raised it to the next level. That being said, the book absolutely succeeds on the level of being a fun and interesting fantasy adventure romp. The opening set-up is intriguing, the premise is really cool, the characters work well enough, and when the world building lands, it is awesome. There is plenty to keep a reader’s attention, and I am not at all surprised that so many people have really enjoyed it!

    Despite my somewhat mixed feelings, I am still curious to see how the story unfolds in the sequels, and I think the author has a lot of talent that will only get better with time! Definitely worth checking out if you are interested in the premise.
  • Reviewer
    4.0 out of 5 stars A a promising debut
    Reviewed in Italy on February 5, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    An Ocean of Others has an interesting and varied setting. The city, and the nation, which is the backdrop to the main events has a clear social and political structure. Often the motivations of the protagonist, or the events in which he is involved, are the result of the social context in which he lives.
    The atmosphere in this novel is a cross between the comfort zone typical of the genre and some peculiar choices, above all aesthetic ones. Here you'll some of the epic fantasy chivalry that has been branded in our minds, but in certain moments it also recalls a frontier western and some of the typical vibes of any good tale of rebellion.
    In some moments the French Revolution seemed to me just around the corner.
    All of this is good and fair, but I got the impression that the "party of characters doing stuff around the world" was too much borrowed from a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
    Yes, the author explicitly mentions that this novel is the result of a storyline born in for that role-playing game, but for me it is a double-edged sword.
    I'm not convinced that the direction modern high fantasy literature is heading is still a good fit for that kind of approach.

    Each cast member has their own voice that is clear and distinct from the others.
    There are slang expressions, habits in the formulation of sentences and hints of internal dialogues (of the protagonist) that make the characterization effective.
    Grim is a believable character. Not a hero but not too close to certain peaks of the grayness typical of modern grimdark, he has a personal arc that is captivating enough to make us cheer for him.
    Sometimes I'd slap him.
    He deserves it.

    After an introductory part (about 20%) objectively difficult to follow from a worldbuilding point of view, the novel takes off towards a quest that has all the ups and downs you could wish for from a slightly dark high fantasy novel.

    The storytelling is ambitious without getting convoluted, there's just the right amount of action and a couple of really effective twists.

    Flowing beautifully, always clear, in some moments charged with a cutting irony and in others full of emotion: Edwards' prose is damn effective.
    Stylistically it already shows signs of a maturity worthy of attention. I can't wait to find out how it will evolve in the next volumes.

    Fresh, captivating and well written, An Ocean of Others is a promising debut. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Edwards' next work.
    You should too.
  • Nick P
    4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, action-packed adventure
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I went into this book expecting a quality, enjoyable read and it didn’t disappoint.

    I'd been attracted by its brilliant cover and intriguing premise and then sampled the first chapter, which provided a compelling opening.

    I’ve read books based on or inspired by role-playing settings and campaigns before and they can be hit and miss for me.

    However, with the reassurance of that first chapter, I was more than happy to roll the dice and fully dive into An Ocean Of Others.

    I enjoy bounty hunters in stories and the main character certainly paid off for me. With a name like Grim, I knew he was likely to be morally grey and that I was likely to be in for a dark ride. I hadn’t appreciated how dark - indeed, horrific - it would be. Not that I’m complaining. It was a superb mash-up of genres, very cleverly executed by the author.

    Grim’s story is told in a past tense, first person perspective, which had me really invested in the character. I felt his emotions and shared his confusion as he tried to piece the puzzles together, which I particularly enjoyed as I love intrigue and trying to solve mysteries.

    Although I enjoyed Grim’s character, the rest of the cast didn’t feel as fully fleshed out, which is a pity as the motley crew aspect of the book worked well in terms of the diversity, banter and squabbling. It’s just that none of the other characters felt as rounded as Grim and we only get a two-dimensional feel for them.

    I think it’s very much a plot-driven rather than character-driven story, which isn’t my particular preference. I like to get under the skin of side characters, so that I can feel emotionally involved.

    They were all interesting and the inter-actions were fun but I’d have been more invested if I felt I knew them better and cared about them more.

    Of the many plus points, the book is action-packed, with very good pacing. There is a repetitive element to the episodic quests, but they’re full of exciting combat and tension, and there is a purpose to each of them.

    I particularly enjoyed this dangling carrot aspect of working through the challenges and obstacles to gradually unveil the layers of mystery.

    That mystery is intriguing, the action scenes are fantastic, and the setting of Liwokin and its surroundings is interesting and well evoked.

    Edwards’ prose is accessible, making for a reading experience in which the pages fly by, but with a healthy sprinkling of some really neat lines which I really appreciate in an accomplished writer.

    All in all, it’s a fun, enjoyable romp which also delves into some dark places and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in book 2.

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